Fat for Life

myfavoritepinkmartini

no bread,
no grain (wheat, rice, corn,)
no sugar
no booze
no fruit,
no potatoes.
good luck.

Lolz! No, thank you!

You'll find your way, don't worry.

Wow, this manner of "eating" would certainly set you up for failure (READ: Major binge!). People seem to confuse the fact that we need carbs for energy (Good carbs = Complex carbs; Bad carbs = Simple carbs (all the processed, junk food, and sugar that many of us crave). I can sincerely empathize with you because I am in a very stressful situation right now and tend to eat to soothe (putting myself in a food coma doesn't make me feel any better, nor does the added pounds I've put on these past three months) myself. I know food will always be an issue for me. I have to learn to forgive myself and move on because if not, I'm no good to anyone. Good luck in this journey of yours. Baby steps .......... put on those walking shoes and do what you can do. Remember, each day will bring renewed energy.

JesterMFP

Wow, sad story. you're right to take this seriously. start with the keto calculator. http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
it's not about calories, its about carbohydrates. get started and set your goals according to what the calculator suggests. take the carbs down to under 50 grams. you won't meet the calorie goal you set, not reasonable. it's going to be some time before you can safely exercise carrying the amount of weight you mentioned so take the carbs down first, get under 180 pounds and then start walking a bit. good luck. keep in touch.
no bread,
no grain (wheat, rice, corn,)
no sugar
no booze
no fruit,
no potatoes.
good luck.

OP, this is really, really, really not necessary. Really.

JesterMFP

First of all, welcome to MFP.

You've taken a great first step, and there's absolutely no need for you to be "fat for life". I know how that can become so ingrained in your identity. Your first paragraph could very well apply to me, although I started gaining a little earlier. Until a couple of years ago, I had been obese my entire adult life, and I have believed myself to be fat since early childhood (like you, I wasn't really at first), I never thought it would happen, but I turned it around. MFP has been a massive part of that.

I would agree with others who have said not to go too drastic. It's easy to do when you get into a panic about your weight, and want to get rid of it sooner than now, but in the long run it could work against you. 1000 is definitely going to be too low for you, and you would find that your energy levels would probably suffer a lot (I'm sure not great for your job!) Since you say you're not in a hurry to lose the weight really fast (which is a good attitude to have) why not set MFP up to lose 1 lb per week, and see how many calories that gives you? I don't know how active you are as an attorney, but if you're walking around a fair bit in your job, then maybe set your activity level to lightly active as opposed to sedentary. Once you start exercising, you can add that in, and eat back at least a portion of those calories.

One thing that can happen if you cut calories too drastically is that you can end up losing too much lean mass (including muscle) as you lose weight. While you are obese, you can "get away with" a larger calorie deficit for a while, but long term you would want to hold onto as much muscle as possible. More muscle means more calories burned at rest, and it also means that you would likely achieve the size/look you are wanting at a slightly higher weight.

I'm very much a food lover too. That's ok - calorie counting is perfect for foodies! I would try to separate out your healthy appreciation for food (whether it's a love of cooking, eating at great restaurants, sharing great food with friends etc) from any unhealthier patterns (whether it's binge eating, or emotional eating etc). I have found that with calorie counting, I appreciate what I'm eating so much more, and I only eat things that are worth it - either for nutritional value, or for taste. If you have certain trigger foods, consider keeping them out of the house for a while. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend cutting the foods you like out of your normal diet. You can absolutely eat all the things you like and still get healthy. Cutting out all the foods you like is a fast road to binging and/or quitting If certain situations trigger you to overeat, try to find ways around that too. For example, if watching the food network is too hard in the beginning, maybe stop for a while until you have a better handle on things. I love to bake, and I had to stop doing that for a couple of months because I found it too hard to moderate my eating while baking. Once I was into the swing of things though, I started baking again.

Try to find other ways to de-stress. Food can still be a positive part of your life, but if it's the only way you have of de-stressing, then it's going to be a problem. I don't agree with people who say "food is fuel" and nothing else. For me, food provides fuel, nourishment, and also pleasure, and there's nothing wrong with that. I have had to stop it being a source of emotional comfort though. Finding other ways to deal with stress etc is actually very empowering.

Lastly, be prepared for this to take a long time, and be prepared for it to be hard. This isn't something you can do for a while until you get the weigh off. If you intend to keep the weight off, you will need to work at it to some degree forever. With that in mind, only make such changes that you can live with permanently. Don't expect to always feel motivated either. There will likely be times when you can't be bothered any more. Motivation is very fickle. Determination, commitment and never giving up are what will get you through.

nicolemarthacraig

I agree, don't reduce your calories so much to begin with, it will be too much of a shock to the system & your body will go into starvation mode. This happened to me & it took weeks before I started losing any weight.

smantha32

no bread,
no grain (wheat, rice, corn,)
no sugar
no booze
no fruit,
no potatoes.
good luck.

Lolz! No, thank you!

You'll find your way, don't worry.

Wow, this manner of "eating" would certainly set you up for failure (READ: Major binge!).

I agree with this. I haven't cut anything out except sodas.
You can eat anything in moderation.

Zedusa

I think you've come to the right place for support and motivation. I've never actually posted anything before, but I do read through different topics for encouragement.
1 thing I would like to advise you, is not to cut your calories so drastically. It will be really hard to maintain, you'll be hungry and get frustrated. I would begin by limiting your calories to 1500-1800. Once you feel like you have your eating under better control you could reduce a little more, but don't drop below 1200, unless this is something your doctor has advised you to do. I've never been able to eat less than 1500 calories without feeling like I"m starving. I'm also 5'2" and close to my goal weight now. Start with small goals. Make small changes at a time. Don't try to do it all at once, you'll get frustrated and give up. Also, I would put your scale away for the 1st month. Get yourself a tape measure and use measurements to track your success. I actually marked on my tape measurer with a shapie. Also, add some activity in to your day. Good Luck!

I agree with what you say. It isn't a good idea to drop the calories too drastically. 1800 sounds like a good start. Remember you need your energy to feel good to be able to work out.

kenna44cat

Do you ever watch Drop Dead Diva? You might find it relaxing and funny, in a mindless sort of way.

TavistockToad

you dont need to only eat 1000 cals to lose weight... just use MFP - set your calorie goal to lose 2lb per week

you need to find time to do more exercsie than 10 minutes 3 x a week... think healthy lifestyle - prioritise 40 minutes 5 x a week to doing some exercise. the health benefits are worth it before you even consider weight loss....

RobynLB83

Do you love your job THAT much? Also, I kind of have a feeling your employer is taking advantage of you. More than the average firm takes advantage of the average associate. You are a young, overweight, female. I don't know you, but I'm assuming from what I've experienced about human nature that you kind of have, "take advantage of me because I will never stand up for myself" written on your forehead.

hamminit

You can do this- you are in the right place. I am a fellow shortie at 5' 2" Started out here at 272 pounds. I was sitting around 240 until I had to take a long course of steroids for chronic hives and quickly packed on the rest within 8 weeks or so. It was a little rough- I am allowed 1320 calories a day- I get plenty of food that way (lots of veggies, salmon, chicken and turkey everything) When i want my treats- I go to the gym and walk on the treadmill- then I can have more calories. Just remember it's going to be a journey not a sprint- Don't start out too low on your calories- I did and I was exhausted- everyday gets easier. AND I love food network too but now I like to see how many calories I can shave off a meal. Feel free to add me

Maritill

I have read most of the replies sent to you. My only suggestion to you is to keep taking the stairs. Start by going down for a while and then going up one flight at a time. My cardiologist wants me to do it but only going down until I get some weight off first. Good luck to you and keep posting your progress.

zenalasca

There is no such thing as "fat for life" as you will discover when you lose weight! And we are here to help you!! :happy:

Fullsterkur_woman

Wow, sad story. you're right to take this seriously. start with the keto calculator. http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
it's not about calories, its about carbohydrates. get started and set your goals according to what the calculator suggests. take the carbs down to under 50 grams. you won't meet the calorie goal you set, not reasonable. it's going to be some time before you can safely exercise carrying the amount of weight you mentioned so take the carbs down first, get under 180 pounds and then start walking a bit. good luck. keep in touch.
no bread,
no grain (wheat, rice, corn,)
no sugar
no booze
no fruit,
no potatoes.
good luck.

OP, this is really, really, really not necessary. Really.

Not necessary, and possibly dangerous. I have depression, and low carb can deplete your stores of serotonin. You know, that chemical that lets you control your impulses? After eight months, I started binging, and ended up gaining back all the weight I lost. It took me three and a half years to get myself steady enough again to be able to get by on a small calorie deficit. I'm eating 1800 calories a day, but I also exercise quite a bit too. I'm losing weight very slowly, but I am losing, and I'll eventually reach my goals.

Point being, don't set yourself up for failure. Make it easy on yourself and you'll be able to stick to it until you get where you want to be.

JoRocka

welcome to MFP and congrats on a taking a big step.

I would encourage you to NOT eat 1000 calories a day- use the calculator- set it to lose 1-2 lbs a week. EAT ALL YOUR CALORIES.

Walk- get in a pool if there is one near you where you will be comfortable. Doing anything at this point is better than doing nothing.

Also- don't listen to the clown about cutting out all that crap. Find one or two things to LIMIT- not cut out... and start monitoring what you eat. Don't try to cut out too much or eat to little- it's a reciepe for failure- you just need to learn how to start moderating and living healthier. You'll have to re-learn food- and portion size and that's okay- but ultra restricive diets and calorie goals are NOT a good way to go. It's just not a goo way to operate or survive or LIVE.

GO GET SOME GIRL- YOU GOT THIS!

TheBitSlinger

We succeed at the things we make priorities.

DawnieB1977

Welcome to MFP! Well done for realising you need to become healthy.

No job is worth compromising your health for, but it is easily done when you're stressed. I put on weight when I did my teacher training a few years ago as that's highly stressful and I was doing so much work. Getting engaged gave me the kick up the bum to lose weight properly, and I also found that exercise is an excellent way to destress and to actually increase the energy you have (which I definitely need as a mum of 2 young kids and as a secondary school teacher!).

I agree with what pretty much everyone has said - don't go too low with your calories. Aim for high protein and limit starchy carbs. Have an occasional treat so you don't feel deprived.

Once you improve your fitness, definitely start exercising more. In fact, you could get some free weights for at home, and do some squats, lunges etc too, as well as going for walks.

Good luck!

TINAHUNTER1969

I love food too but I have been amazed at the low fat versions of my favourite dishes. I have a fantastic recipe for lasagne - I use cottage cheese instead of béchamel sauce for the topping and I mixed vegetable ratatouille in with my mince, onions and mushrooms - cuts the fat and calories and still tastes delicious. I have spaghetti bolognaise using the vegetable ratatouille and I always use wholewheat pasta now. I also use quite a lot of the Slimming World recipes and tried their chicken curry on family and friends and no one knew that it was low fat because it was so tasty.

You don't have to live on boring food, just adapt your favourite recipes to healthy/tasty versions and I guarantee in 6 months time if you tried to eat the original version you wouldn't enjoy it as much as the new healthy version you have created.

I started off with walking and have steadily increased the length of my walks and how many nights I go after work, if I go on my own I make sure its a safe area and if I go with friends we decided between us which route we want to take.

We are all here for the same reason. You are not alone - your job sounds very stressful, have you tried listening to relaxation CDs? I sketch or read when I'm feeling stressed and this helps.

Lose the weight slowing but surely, its NOT a diet, its a HEALTHIER WAY OF LIVING for the rest of your life!

Good luck :flowerforyou:

TINAHUNTER1969

Good advice - everything in moderation is key

Ophidion

OP...

TINAHUNTER1969

Good advice - everything in moderation is key