Getting worried about my weight
andyzee69
Posts: 193 Member
I need help. I'm 327 pounds and 75.7% body fat. I need to get rid of this FAST. I'm 50 now and it's getting harder. I've had mini strokes in the past and i don't want any more.
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Replies
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Have MFP set a calorie goal based on your current stats. Weigh your food and log everything you consume with (as close to) accurate entries (i.e. no generic or homemade). Drink plenty of water. Avoid ultra processed foods (if there are ingredients that look like they belong in a chemistry lab then avoid). Eat more fiber containing foods (fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains like oatmeal, rice, quinoa, etc.) since they can help with fullness cues. Have patience. Best of luck to you!10
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“Fast” is not an option. Trying to lose weight fast almost guarantees that you’ll gain it all back again. Make “healthy” your aim and you’ll have a much better chance of learning to live and eat in a way that will keep the weight off.20
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Well, I have to say if you've been on here since 2011 and you haven't lost the weight I'd ask why haven't you?
Set a reasonable calorie goal and start logging your food. Focus on lean meats, dairy, nuts, vegetables and a couple fruits per day. Limiting grains is a good way to cut calories, so stick to just a couple servings of grains a day. Buy a $15 food scale and use it.
Log every day like your life depends on it because it probably does.
It's not easy, but you can do it.
As far as needing to lose it FAST, that's not how it works. You've had at least nine years and . . . it's about making a commitment and practicing some personal discipline and learning as you go.
Have you considered face to face support like Weight Watchers or OverEaters Anonymous? How about a little counseling or getting into a men's group?16 -
I need help. I'm 327 pounds and 75.7% body fat. I need to get rid of this FAST. I'm 50 now and it's getting harder. I've had mini strokes in the past and i don't want any more.
Start off really simple and easy. Continue eating what you have been eating and start logging it. Review it and look at how you can start cutting back easily to get into a calorie deficit. Do not worry about healthy eating, processed foods, fiber, carbs, or any of it right now. To lose weight you only need to be in a calorie deficit. You do not even need to worry about exercise and you should probably consult a doctor before beginning any type of program. Try to move more around the house and do some walking if you are able.
I have been on diets where I intended to go fast. They always failed and it all ended up being a waste of time. Slow is taking 28 years to not get it done while trying to go fast. Fast is doing it in a sustainable fashion and getting it mostly done in 2 years.
There are a few reasons weight loss is harder the older you get:
1) I, for one, got more sedentary. Moving less means it takes less calories to put on more weight so I started with more to lose. Moving more means burning more calories and it means you are probably engaged in activities that are hopefully keeping you away from the kitchen.
2) I was more set in my ways. My bad habits were greatly reinforced by repetition.
3) I believed it was harder to lose weight because I was older. This can be a self-fulfilling curse. I have lost over 200 pounds and I am very close to your age. Being older and wiser has made it easier for me.23 -
Fat loss does not happen fast. But it does happen if you are consistently in a calorie deficit.
Set MFP to 2 lb/week rate of loss. Get a food scale and weigh ALL of your food to make sure you are actually eating that number of calories every day. Consistently eat that number of calories without going over. This will ensure that you're in a calorie deficit.
That is literally all that's required for weight loss.
Exercise is great for health and fitness, but not required for weight loss.
Specific foods or macros may be good for nutrition or satiety, but they're not required for weight loss.
Specific diets might help you stay in a calorie deficit, but they're not required for weight loss, and any diet that works does so only because it creates a calorie deficit.
A lot of people have heard so many marketing claims and bad information that they think weight loss is a lot more complicated than it is, and that can be intimidating. Weight loss is not complicated. It is not necessarily easy--staying in a calorie deficit takes patience and dedication--but the concept itself is very straightforward.9 -
Turn worry into action. We worry much about the unknown and less over the known.
Add your data into MFP and implement a modest caloric deficit. Start some manner of deliberate exercise. Begin with walking or whatever is more than you're doing now. Build upon this.
I look at this as implementing change - successfully implementing change requires modifying behavior and a long process of swapping out "bad" habits for "good" habits.
Write down a list of 5 habits hurting your weight loss goals and prioritize 1-5. Scratch off 2-5 and focus on 1. Replace this with a habit that supports your weight loss goal. Our brains work in a similar manner to grooves on a record, so you cannot end one habit without replacing this with another. This process will take several weeks/months depending on how ingrained this is. Once complete, celebrate, ensure a level of discipline to maintain the habit, then repeat the exercise and work on the next habit.9 -
I'm 55, and in the last few years I was coming close to where you are now. I finally kicked my rear in gear last April and started my weight loss. If you haven't already, get a blood workup and see where your health is, which I am assuming is in pretty dire condition, like mine was. With your Dr's ok, start moving and start logging everything you eat with a food scale.....every day, consistently. I started just by walking, HUFFING AND PUFFING every step. I went a little further each day. If you are accurate with your logging and stay at a consistent calorie deficit, and most of all REALLY WANT THIS, the weight will start to come off. I went from Obese Class II to Normal Weight BMI in a 9 month period. I worked my tail off for it and YOU CAN TOO. Start slow and build from there.12
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There are no "fast" ways to lose weight that are also safe.
Best place to start for someone like you (assuming little or no exercise & bad eating habits) would be to start by making a couple of meaningful changes.
If you don't exercise, start walking 30 minutes a day. If you can't do 30 minutes, try breaking it up over the course of a day. I've had clients in very poor condition that all they could do is go to the end of the block and back before they were spent. That's fine. Walk to the end of the block, rest, do it again later in the day. Maybe in try that 3-4 times a day. In a week or two you'll be able to walk a whole block. I don't know your level of fitness but the important part is to start slow, aim for 30 minutes a day. Scale it to a level that's safe for your level of fitness. If you have access to weights or a gym start doing some lifting. Gyms have machines that are good for new people as they keep the range of motion to a point where getting injured is lessened. Alternatively there are a lot of good workouts online for free you can do with a set of bands.
Second, if you drink pop try to stop drinking it. In general, outside of maybe milk, don't drink your calories. Make a conscious effort to eat a little less at each meal and eat more veggies and lean meats. in your current condition you can probably lose weight just doing these three things. After you lose some weight you will probably have to increase activity, be more strict about your diet but for now this is a good starting point.4 -
Log everything you eat before you eat it.
By itself this starts as a deterrent to overeating
Review your logs and evaluate dispationately if the calories you spent out of your budget were worth it for each item and if the food in question helped you stay on track for your reasonable goals.
Ruthlessly substitute and make changes till staying on track is as easy as it gets.
Pick reasonable, not aspirational goals.
You're 50. By 55 you could be normal weight, 4.5 years into a >10% weight reduction which by itself delivers a multitude of health benefits, and a couple of years into maintenance (at which point your odds of continuing to maintain over the next 5 years to 60 will go up substantially).
Or you could be starting again for the second or third time. After having spent less than a cumulative year at that -10% that gives you health benefits.
I like health benefits. As a total pessimist I decided to take my time losing so that I could log some quality time at that -10% or more... as much as possible!
You've had some good ideas above. I would NOT cut my food to zero and start exercising like a dervish.
I absolutely WOULD try to figure out "long term menus" in the 2000 to 2300 Calorie ranges and adjust as time went on based on my actual weight trend results.
Seeking to go as fast as was SUSTAINABLY possible.
I generally found that deficits over 25% of my tdee we're not sustainable for me.
Losing at a lesser average deficit for the bulk of my weight loss didn't exactly stop me from getting there ... to the contrary for me! (1st year on mfp was 72.5lbs)
@NovusDies runs a group that might interest you to join. Look for larger losers4 -
No, you need to lose weight permanently not 'fast'.
Fast and successful, when it comes to weight loss tend to be mutually exclusive. If you're anything like me you've probably spent decades trying to lose weight fast. Turns out losing weight fast is the slowest way to get to a healthy weight. The value of a weight loss approach is measured in easy and longevity, not rapidity. The fast method that lasts a month or two gets you nowhere. The easy, sustainable method that lasts forever gets you where you need to go.
There's plenty of great advice above so read through it and take it to heart. Find the path of least resistance, your goal should be to work out a way to eat in a calorie deficit (and thereby lose the weight) without even trying. That's the key.10 -
Ditto-ing what has already been said. Now that you've learned smart ways to go about it, practice some positive self talk, find some small goals, and start a new routine. NOW. Not knowing how much you want or need to lose, I'm just picking a number. Say you want to lose 50 lbs; don't think of that 50 but think of losing the first 5-10. Make that your first goal, then as you make your new habits yours and gain the confidence/motivation, attack another 5-10. Your weight WILL drop when you make the recommended changes that people have suggested. Get to walking, anywhere, anytime, any amount, it's the best exercise to start with. And always push yourself that extra 30 seconds(with the dr.'s approval of course!!). It's not a competition but a journey for YOURSELF. Nobody can do this for you except YOU. Talk tough to yourself and do NOT let the weak side win. Throw out the junk food, the alcohol, whatever it is that constantly tempts you do not even allow it in your home. Lots of people say a treat now and then is fine, but for me, I know my hot triggers and junk is one of them. I just have to look back to what I did during the holidays and cringe.
It took me a few days but I got right back to it. And that's important to remember too. We all have not-so-great days but we can get right back on the wagon and keep looking forward. Knowing what to do is only 1/2 the battle, conquering the mind requires more effort. At least, that's been my case. But please don't think fast with this trip. Fast does not=success. Making Changes+positivity= success. Swap out healthier options of foods you love. No empty calorie drinks. Instead of chowing down on a bag of cookies these days(trust me, I used to polish off a bag within a couple hours), I'll grab a couple pretzels, dip in p.b. There are always alternatives to what we choose.
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.
Wishing you the very best of luck!!!!1 -
I am going to (slightly) disagree with those advising you against losing weight fast, because at your weight and body fat percentage sometimes losing the first lot of weight fast can be a good kick start and even desirable. However any such programme should be under medical supervision since it would involve a rather drastic level of fasting and I recommend you consult your doctor for advice anyway, in view of the mini strokes.
Longer term you do need to find balance and a way to change your lifestyle so you lose at a sensible rate and can maintain the loss for ever. MFP can certainly help with that.
Good luck.6 -
I am going to (slightly) disagree with those advising you against losing weight fast, because at your weight and body fat percentage sometimes losing the first lot of weight fast can be a good kick start and even desirable. However any such programme should be under medical supervision since it would involve a rather drastic level of fasting and I recommend you consult your doctor for advice anyway, in view of the mini strokes.
^This is really important. As you've suffered strokes in the past, I assume you're likely to be on a few medications (anticoagulation, antihypertensive?) which means to stay safe you need to get a dr input.3 -
SnifterPug wrote: »I am going to (slightly) disagree with those advising you against losing weight fast, because at your weight and body fat percentage sometimes losing the first lot of weight fast can be a good kick start and even desirable. However any such programme should be under medical supervision since it would involve a rather drastic level of fasting and I recommend you consult your doctor for advice anyway, in view of the mini strokes.
Longer term you do need to find balance and a way to change your lifestyle so you lose at a sensible rate and can maintain the loss for ever. MFP can certainly help with that.
Good luck.
There is no reason to fast to lose weight. Drastic fasting is certainly not necessary.
I think it is a bad idea to set out to go fast because it can create a hardship that leads to failure. If a person seems to be having a decent honeymoon phase and can support a faster pace for 6 weeks or so I advise them to proceed with caution and recommend that it stays within the 1 percent rule. I do not consider that a kick start. I consider it taking advantage of one of the easy parts of weight loss that is sometimes afforded to people that start with a lot more to lose.
To the OP: As @PAV8888 mentioned I have a MFP group for people who are starting or originally started with 75 or more pounds to lose. I didn't invite you right away because you mentioned wanting to get your weight off fast. My group is really for people who are ready to lose their weight in a sensible and sustainable fashion. You are welcome to join if you are not intending on some type of crash diet.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/133315-larger-losers
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I'm a big fan of Drs Greger & Fuhrman (How Not to Diet & Eat to Live). Plant based whole foods with limited grains, starches & nuts. Animal products are greatly reduced or eliminated completely,
your choice. Oil, sugar, & flour, even whole wheat, are considered processed, along with all the usual foods we consider processed. If you are on any meds, you must work with your doctor on this type of nutrition plan because it will quickly change your body - meds might need adjusting. It's a lifestyle change, but totally do-able.3 -
You've gotten great advice here.
In May my wife and sister started dieting, from similar weights.
My wife has been plodding along ever since, eating healthy at a moderate calorie deficit, walking, and using our water rower. Has a little piece of Dove chocolate every day and occasionally a big buttered popcorn to watch a movie. She's lost 50 pounds.
My sister said she had to lose weight FAST. Was going to crash diet and starve herself into thinness. Bought a giant supply of rice cakes and so forth. She has lost zero pounds.11 -
Others have mentioned it already, but there's no need to go fast.
Keep in mind that you'll see improvements in your quality of life through the entire journey to your weight goal, not just when you reach the goal weight you picked.
Keep your efforts sustainable, not fast.7 -
Others have mentioned it already, but there's no need to go fast.
Keep in mind that you'll see improvements in your quality of life through the entire journey to your weight goal, not just when you reach the goal weight you picked.
Keep your efforts sustainable, not fast.
Very wise comment.2 -
You've gotten great advice here.
In May my wife and sister started dieting, from similar weights.
My wife has been plodding along ever since, eating healthy at a moderate calorie deficit, walking, and using our water rower. Has a little piece of Dove chocolate every day and occasionally a big buttered popcorn to watch a movie. She's lost 50 pounds.
My sister said she had to lose weight FAST. Was going to crash diet and starve herself into thinness. Bought a giant supply of rice cakes and so forth. She has lost zero pounds.
Awesome comment.1 -
You've gotten great advice here.
In May my wife and sister started dieting, from similar weights.
My wife has been plodding along ever since, eating healthy at a moderate calorie deficit, walking, and using our water rower. Has a little piece of Dove chocolate every day and occasionally a big buttered popcorn to watch a movie. She's lost 50 pounds.
My sister said she had to lose weight FAST. Was going to crash diet and starve herself into thinness. Bought a giant supply of rice cakes and so forth. She has lost zero pounds.
Your wife understands that you keep living your life while you lose weight. Your sister will hopefully learn this lesson soon.1 -
Slow is taking 28 years to not get it done while trying to go fast. Fast is doing it in a sustainable fashion and getting it mostly done in 2 years.
This is a gem of a statement! Wonderful 👍🏽👏🏽
Anyway, I lost my weight when I was 50 and have maintained. I’m 55 and in the best shape of my life. It’s great to feel so well. Good luck to you.
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