339 Days to Thanksgiving

AIP4ever

We won't have a Christmas tree this year and it's my fault. I have gotten fat, please excuse me for saying this so bluntly, but there is no sugarcoating anymore. My husband had knee surgery, he can't make it up and down the stairs and I am too big and wobbly on my feet. Instead of our old, big tree, there will be our favorite decoration, perhaps a smaller last-minute store-bought tree?

I have gained and gained for years. I have promised myself to lose weight over and over. Startdate was always tomorrow or after the holidays, or after the weekend. Maybe Monday?

The start date is today. The goal is next Thanksgiving which is 'only' 339 days away. Thanksgiving 2022 I want to be able to fly up the stairs, get our tree out all by myself, and be able to decorate the house and the outside in no time because I will be light on my feet, and I will be healthier.

Big wake calls up last month. I am prediabetic, my blood pressure is too high, everything is a bit out of whack and what did I do? I spent more money on food deliveries.

I have always been scared of diets or weight loss attempts. I have failed too many. This time I will be gaining on purpose:

I will be gaining health
I will be gaining mobility
I will be gaining possibilities
I will be gaining confidence
I will be gaining self-esteem
I will be gaining quality of life

I started today, before Christmas, on a Monday of course. I am ready, this time I am in it to gain! I would love to make friends on MFP, hope to find like-minded, silly people of all ages just like me. Optimists, with a glass half full, even when it's almost empty.

Sorry for the novel!
Merry Christmas to All and a very happy and healthy New Year!

(Older by numbers, young in my mind)

JBanx256

no time like the present! congrats to you for committing to bettering your health!

AIP4ever

Thank you JBanx.

DancingMoosie

Congrats on starting your journey.

callsitlikeiseeit

The key in losing weight, and take this from someone who has lost 230 pounds, is to make small, SUSTAINABLE changes. this is a long term effort. not a sprint. you will not lose weight fast. you will not lose weight every week. you will have weeks on end with NO weight loss. its normal. trust the process.
my main tips:
learn how to weigh (on a food scale) your food properly and find ACCURATE database entries now. I don't know what your starting weight is, but at first you may have a lot of room for error. but as you have less to lose, you don't. If you learn how to do things properly from the beginning, it means you don't have to RE-LEARN how to do it later.
Find an activity you ENJOY. You don't have to be a runner (ew- though I have begun. and i hate it. I much prefer other cardio). You don't have to work out at all to lose weight (weight loss happens in the kitchen). BUT... physical activity does have a LOT of benefits. Both mental and physical. It can be as simple as a leisurely stroll a few times a week. And as you lose weight, you may find (I did), that you WANT to do more. Simple, little things like parking a bit further out in parking lots. Taking stairs instead of elevators. walking to your mailbox instead of pulling up to it in your car as you are pulling in your driveway. Small things. Every bit counts.
Understand that you do not have to give up your favorite foods or any food groups to lose weight. You DO need to learn how MUCH you can eat. Portion control. This goes back to my first point. For the most part, I eat the same things I always have. Just less of them. I eat burgers and pizza and chips and cookies. Just ... not all in the same day well, I might could get away with it if I planned it out REALLY well. And stuck to the plan with NO deviation. Maybe. LOL
You will have 'bad' days. Whether its a holiday or just a ... bad day. Life happens. you will go over. It is NOT the end of the world. You will not ruin your deficit with one bad day. The problems come in when that one bad day becomes two, becomes 3, becomes a week, and goes on....
You've got this. Take it one day at a time, and each day, try to do a little bit better. Don't try to do everything all at once. Don't try to make 1000 changes all at once. Most people who burn out, do so because they try to do too much, too soon. start small. build from there. You did not gain the weight quickly. You will not lose it quickly. Better to lose it slowly, and KEEP IT OFF, then lose it quick, and gain it all back and more!
I've been at this a long time. It becomes a part of your life, and like any other habit, you don't think about it much, really. Your eating habits slowly change. You weigh and log your food. Your activity levels (usually) change, at least to some degree. You become more mindful of what you are putting in your shopping cart and body. My one (or two) words of caution is to make these changes slowly. Most people who go 'All in' head first and full steam, burn out quick. Your first couple of weeks, maybe even first month, most people will lose a fair amount fairly quickly, but most of it is water weight (usually from a natural, not intentional, reduction in carbs). It does slow down, as your body adjusts. It's normal, and is SUPPOSED to happen, so don't get discouraged. Also, don't set your calories too low. The fastest rate of loss (1200 for women and 1500 for men) is not the best rate of loss. Although very tempting to set it to lose faster, it will make it harder for you to maintain and stick to your calorie goals because you will be ... well, hungry. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a few more calories, and you will still lose weight and be less likely to deviate from your plan and therefore more likely to succeed.

springlering62

OK let’s move you from lip service goals to actual achievement of.

How can we help move this along?

Shower us with questions, babe.

We’d be thrilled to help. Seriously.

There’s nothing I’d like to do more than pay it forward. These boards have been amazing during my own journey, so do the logging and weighing, but make the boards part of your day, too.

AIP4ever

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

The key in losing weight, and take this from someone who has lost 230 pounds, is to make small, SUSTAINABLE changes. this is a long term effort. not a sprint. you will not lose weight fast. you will not lose weight every week. you will have weeks on end with NO weight loss. its normal. trust the process.
my main tips:
learn how to weigh (on a food scale) your food properly and find ACCURATE database entries now. I don't know what your starting weight is, but at first you may have a lot of room for error. but as you have less to lose, you don't. If you learn how to do things properly from the beginning, it means you don't have to RE-LEARN how to do it later.
Find an activity you ENJOY. You don't have to be a runner (ew- though I have begun. and i hate it. I much prefer other cardio). You don't have to work out at all to lose weight (weight loss happens in the kitchen). BUT... physical activity does have a LOT of benefits. Both mental and physical. It can be as simple as a leisurely stroll a few times a week. And as you lose weight, you may find (I did), that you WANT to do more. Simple, little things like parking a bit further out in parking lots. Taking stairs instead of elevators. walking to your mailbox instead of pulling up to it in your car as you are pulling in your driveway. Small things. Every bit counts.
Understand that you do not have to give up your favorite foods or any food groups to lose weight. You DO need to learn how MUCH you can eat. Portion control. This goes back to my first point. For the most part, I eat the same things I always have. Just less of them. I eat burgers and pizza and chips and cookies. Just ... not all in the same day well, I might could get away with it if I planned it out REALLY well. And stuck to the plan with NO deviation. Maybe. LOL
You will have 'bad' days. Whether its a holiday or just a ... bad day. Life happens. you will go over. It is NOT the end of the world. You will not ruin your deficit with one bad day. The problems come in when that one bad day becomes two, becomes 3, becomes a week, and goes on....
You've got this. Take it one day at a time, and each day, try to do a little bit better. Don't try to do everything all at once. Don't try to make 1000 changes all at once. Most people who burn out, do so because they try to do too much, too soon. start small. build from there. You did not gain the weight quickly. You will not lose it quickly. Better to lose it slowly, and KEEP IT OFF, then lose it quick, and gain it all back and more!
I've been at this a long time. It becomes a part of your life, and like any other habit, you don't think about it much, really. Your eating habits slowly change. You weigh and log your food. Your activity levels (usually) change, at least to some degree. You become more mindful of what you are putting in your shopping cart and body. My one (or two) words of caution is to make these changes slowly. Most people who go 'All in' head first and full steam, burn out quick. Your first couple of weeks, maybe even first month, most people will lose a fair amount fairly quickly, but most of it is water weight (usually from a natural, not intentional, reduction in carbs). It does slow down, as your body adjusts. It's normal, and is SUPPOSED to happen, so don't get discouraged. Also, don't set your calories too low. The fastest rate of loss (1200 for women and 1500 for men) is not the best rate of loss. Although very tempting to set it to lose faster, it will make it harder for you to maintain and stick to your calorie goals because you will be ... well, hungry. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a few more calories, and you will still lose weight and be less likely to deviate from your plan and therefore more likely to succeed.

Good grief, it's a bit long don't you think? Did you mean to throw a book at me? :-)

callsitlikeiseeit

The_Fat_Optimist wrote: »

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

The key in losing weight, and take this from someone who has lost 230 pounds, is to make small, SUSTAINABLE changes. this is a long term effort. not a sprint. you will not lose weight fast. you will not lose weight every week. you will have weeks on end with NO weight loss. its normal. trust the process.
my main tips:
learn how to weigh (on a food scale) your food properly and find ACCURATE database entries now. I don't know what your starting weight is, but at first you may have a lot of room for error. but as you have less to lose, you don't. If you learn how to do things properly from the beginning, it means you don't have to RE-LEARN how to do it later.
Find an activity you ENJOY. You don't have to be a runner (ew- though I have begun. and i hate it. I much prefer other cardio). You don't have to work out at all to lose weight (weight loss happens in the kitchen). BUT... physical activity does have a LOT of benefits. Both mental and physical. It can be as simple as a leisurely stroll a few times a week. And as you lose weight, you may find (I did), that you WANT to do more. Simple, little things like parking a bit further out in parking lots. Taking stairs instead of elevators. walking to your mailbox instead of pulling up to it in your car as you are pulling in your driveway. Small things. Every bit counts.
Understand that you do not have to give up your favorite foods or any food groups to lose weight. You DO need to learn how MUCH you can eat. Portion control. This goes back to my first point. For the most part, I eat the same things I always have. Just less of them. I eat burgers and pizza and chips and cookies. Just ... not all in the same day well, I might could get away with it if I planned it out REALLY well. And stuck to the plan with NO deviation. Maybe. LOL
You will have 'bad' days. Whether its a holiday or just a ... bad day. Life happens. you will go over. It is NOT the end of the world. You will not ruin your deficit with one bad day. The problems come in when that one bad day becomes two, becomes 3, becomes a week, and goes on....
You've got this. Take it one day at a time, and each day, try to do a little bit better. Don't try to do everything all at once. Don't try to make 1000 changes all at once. Most people who burn out, do so because they try to do too much, too soon. start small. build from there. You did not gain the weight quickly. You will not lose it quickly. Better to lose it slowly, and KEEP IT OFF, then lose it quick, and gain it all back and more!
I've been at this a long time. It becomes a part of your life, and like any other habit, you don't think about it much, really. Your eating habits slowly change. You weigh and log your food. Your activity levels (usually) change, at least to some degree. You become more mindful of what you are putting in your shopping cart and body. My one (or two) words of caution is to make these changes slowly. Most people who go 'All in' head first and full steam, burn out quick. Your first couple of weeks, maybe even first month, most people will lose a fair amount fairly quickly, but most of it is water weight (usually from a natural, not intentional, reduction in carbs). It does slow down, as your body adjusts. It's normal, and is SUPPOSED to happen, so don't get discouraged. Also, don't set your calories too low. The fastest rate of loss (1200 for women and 1500 for men) is not the best rate of loss. Although very tempting to set it to lose faster, it will make it harder for you to maintain and stick to your calorie goals because you will be ... well, hungry. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a few more calories, and you will still lose weight and be less likely to deviate from your plan and therefore more likely to succeed.

Good grief, it's a bit long don't you think? Did you mean to throw a book at me? :-)

welcome to my world

AIP4ever

The last two days I have eaten the rest of my old lifestyle (fridge) have given away STUFF from the pantry and have spent the last two days trying to find a healthy, delicious Christmas menu. I have eaten less than usual, but couldn't bring myself to throw perfectly good food out. Now the chocolate is gone, the chips have left the building, the gift card from Cane's is at $0.

I do have a question, how can I invite somebody to be my friend, or ask to be accepted as a friend. When I click on the name, I see badges and a profile but no clickable icon for the friend request. What am I doing wrong?

kenziestabes

The easiest way I have found, assuming you are using the computer website and not the app, is to highlight the user name, right click and copy (or Ctrl+C if you use keyboard shortcuts), go to the top banner and click "Find Members," and lastly paste the username into the search bar and click search. There should be a send friend request button. If highlighting it straight from the chat is too difficult, you can always click on the name first then highlight it from that little window that pops up.

Short version: Copy username > click "Find Members" > Paste username into search bar > click "Add as friend."

callsitlikeiseeit

The_Fat_Optimist wrote: »

The last two days I have eaten the rest of my old lifestyle (fridge) have given away STUFF from the pantry and have spent the last two days trying to find a healthy, delicious Christmas menu. I have eaten less than usual, but couldn't bring myself to throw perfectly good food out. Now the chocolate is gone, the chips have left the building, the gift card from Cane's is at $0.

I do have a question, how can I invite somebody to be my friend, or ask to be accepted as a friend. When I click on the name, I see badges and a profile but no clickable icon for the friend request. What am I doing wrong?

Theres a few different ways. This is how I do it....

With recent changes to the forums, its not as easy to get to peoples profiles profiles anymore. The easiest way (from a computer) is to replace the user name (like in the url below) with the user name of the person you want to add. ( i cant help you with doing it from a phone as I dont use the forums on my phone). I dont care if you add me, but I will warn you, I am not the friend for everyone. I am very supportive, and off and on all day, so see most things, but I swear like a sailor and ramble incessantly about my life, and not just about diet and weight crap. I have an awesome group of friends who are pretty much the same. You are welcome to board to crazy train and hop off if you so choose. https://www.myfitnesspal.com/profile/callsitlikeiseeit

springlering62

Or go to main menu, friends, add friend.

You can add more than one at once that way, too.

But you’ll have to remember their ID to do that.

Don’t bother typing a message. That function is disabled to to pornbots. Your request has to be accepted and then you can message someone privately.