200+ lbs to lose

hrwnketo

Hi! My name is Holly. I am 38 years old, a working mom of 3, who also is going to school. I am 5' 5" and currently weigh 353 lbs and am trying to get down to between 140 and 150 lbs. I would like to be under 200 lbs by my birthday in October next year and hope to start 2025 having reached my goal. Unfortunately, that is about 2.5 lbs of loss each week which can be difficult and has health risks in and of itself. But of the many health issues I already have, over half could possibly be solved with weight loss, so I am going for it.

I am in need of eye surgery but I can not get it done due to my BMI being too high. I also have some heart damage already and when you consider I have a family history full of heart issues I need to get my weight under control. I reached my highest weight of about 374 this time last year.

I am here hoping I can find motivation, accountability and recipe ideas and just any help I can. Doing it by myself has not been working.

AnnPT77

You may be able to lose as fast as 2.5 pounds per week to start. Do you have a doctor who can monitor you (via blood tests and such) for any concerns while losing? That could be helpful and reassuring.

Later, as you get much lighter, it's likely that you'll eventually reach a point where 2.5 pounds a week is too extreme . . . but I suspect that you may also find that some of your weight-related health conditions will start to improve along the way, so that may be reassuring as well.

You have a busy life, it sounds like. A key thing will be figuring out what weight loss rate you can sustain alongside your other responsibilities and activities. If there are improvements you can make in your nutrition along the way, that may help with all of satiation, energy level, and health. Finding sustainable new habits is really key, IMO, but what that looks like is very individual.

I believe you can do this. I'm cheering for you!

KerryBSoCal

Congratulations on your decision to get healthier! I certainly know much effort is needed. Have you and your doctor considered one of the new weight loss medications (Mounjaro or Wegovy)? There is a nationwide shortage but the first two levels of dosage are still available. They can help you kickstart your weight loss and see early success. Best of luck to you!

Moxiemaiden

You can do this! I am using the same strategy, when I stick with it, I lose in that range. Keto, IF & satiety work well for me.

candylilacs

Congratulation on losing 21 lbs!

I hope you know that you are about to embark on a journey where there is no "weight loss" just a journey where you discover delicious foods and how much to partake of them.

kirstinhlynch

Well done, keep going! The first days of change are always the hardest ones

stephnstars

Go on girl! You got this.

Log everything, be honest with yourself.

Move a little more, even if it's 10 minutes walk 3 times a day to start with.

Be constant. Don't give up. Every day is a small step.

Take the scale lightly, your weight will go up and down but the overall picture is what matters!

You've got this!

When I started (years ago) I read "mygirlishwhims" success story (Google her) and it helped me stay motivated.

zebasschick

i've lost almost 100 pounds. i didn't do it all at once, so it's taken time, and i'm much stronger and healthier overall, which is great. i lost the first 60 pounds by doing food substitution and nothing else. i replaced 2% milk with non-fat milk, regular yogurt with light yogurt (hint - dannon light & fit cherry, vanilla and peach are yummy!), regular cheese with light cheese and regular ice cream with light ice cream. there are some tasty alternatives and some not-tasty alternatives, so i always expect to experiment a bit to find the ones that taste good to me.

then i started doing 3 10-minute walks per day, which helped strengthen my legs and improve my overall fitness. i'm not talking about fast walking - just regular walking, not super slow and without stopping. after i had been walking for a couple months with no issues, i assessed what i was doing and made a few course changes. but without simply walking first, i don't think i could have progressed.

logging your food is very helpful as i had not the slightest clue of how many calories i was eating a day. when you start logging, don't make changes yet. just see a pattern so you can decide what to change.

for me, putting time constraints on each step made me feel more pressure, which slowed my progress. but you're not me, so you may deal more positively with time constraints.

best of luck to you, and you CAN do this!

amberfoxglove42

Welcome! It’s been slow for me! I started in 2021 at 248. Now I’m 191 and keep wishing my weight loss would pick up, but at this point I think it will be another 2-3 years before I’m at goal!

neugebauer52

Hello, greetings from another side of the world - Cape Town, South Africa. If anything, I have learned that losing weight as individual as there are obese people on this planet. It took me ages to understand, that I have to listen to my own body - there are just too many "magic bullets" out there; but we are all unique in some way or other and that needs to be considered. Over the years I also had to realize, that sadly many, many seriously overweight people carry with them some sort of baggage - anything from difficult early childhoods, to negative experiences during the teenage years and even during adulthood. In other words - attempting weight loss, usually involves both - mental and physical health. Getting to grips with my own past, finding the reason why I have been overeating for so long needs to be addressed as well. Slowly, very slowly I have learned where, what, how and when my trigger points are and how I can try to circumvent them. On the food and beverage consumption side long - term goals are nice to think about - but it is actually today, this one and only day, that counts. And then tomorrow. And then the day after. One tiny step at a time.... Exercise: it doesn't seem to help at all, to attempt to be a world champion overnight. At my highest weight (170 kg, 375 pounds) I started with a short walk around the corner - and my knees nearly collapsed after a couple of minutes. But it will get easier over time - and rest days are important as well. I have been told, that losing weight is 80 % food and beverage intake and 20 % exercise. I am now in my 5th year and so far have lost about 40 kg (90 pounds); there4 were lots of "plateaus" on the way, which my body needed to adjust to the lower weight. Stick to Myfitnesspal, get information, find out what suits you best - and proudly record every single ounce, you are going to lose. Lets do it!

reener1987

Welcome to the journey!!
You've made the first steps already 👍
I've lost 90lbs in 14 months.
Originally, just cut out the treats I was eating every evening and snacks in the day, replaced with healthier versions. So popcorn, seafood sticks, chicken fridge raiders, fruit has replaced the crisps and chocolate / biscuits.
Re exercise, I would walk up the road and be out of breath. I started walking every other evening just 10 mins to start and slowly built this up. Come October I downloaded the couch to 5k app and went from walking to a light jog, and this June so a year on Ive just ran my first 10k race.
I don't lie, I have the odd evening where I fall off the wagon and eat a whole packet of biscuits but I'm definitely more disciplined now.
You can do this!!!!
I just Google low fat or low calorie recipes BBC good food is a good site. I have a husband and 3 children and we all eat the same meals so I can't be having salad every day! I still substitute some things like half fat cream, reduced fat cheese.

I also take photos of my face and body separately after every half stone and refer to them if I'm having a down day where I want to consume the fridge!

hrwnketo

Thank you so much for all the insightful and inspiring words! I am still figuring out how to use the app or I would have replied sooner. I don't seem to get any thing that pops up to let me know when there are new comments. 🤔

I am keeping up with tracking my food and have started trying to get in a walk or two every day, but have only been able to go about 12 to 15 min before my legs are absolute jelly. It has been a little depressing to see just how bad my health really is in every aspect. But I am determined to make improvements.

I will definitely look into the BBC good food site and see what I can find. I truly love experimenting with new recipes and love to cook when I have the time. The hardest bit has been finding recipes my kids will eat. My two oldest are autistic and very picky, so I usually have to fix 2 or 3 different meal options at meal times.

To those that asked, I do have a doctor who is monitoring me on my journey. She prescribed the mounjuro shots but I didn't see any real difference for me in the month and a half I tried them. At least not enough to warrant the cost of them. She is encouraging me to stick with the keto and IF as long as I try to keep the foods healthy and unprocessed. Mainly, because I have been losing with it when nothing else seems to have worked for me.

I just want to reiterate that I truly appreciate everyone's kind words.

CatRunna

The first step is always the hardest so well done for making a commitment!
For me, weight loss is about performing the "Non-Negotiables" EVERY day. My "Non-Negotiables" are daily exercise, daily food tracking and a daily mindset practice, like a quick meditation or breath-work.
I have been using MyFitnessPal for over 7 years - it will keep you accountable if you are honest and consistent.
Getting a walk in every day is gold - that will count towards not only your physical health but is amazing for your mental health also. If you can do 12 minutes, then that's great.
Take one day at a time, use MFP for tracking and inspiration, and remember why you started.
The MFP community is behind you

paperpudding

I am keeping up with tracking my food and have started trying to get in a walk or two every day, but have only been able to go about 12 to 15 min before my legs are absolute jelly. It has been a little depressing to see just how bad my health really is in every aspect. But I am determined to make improvements.

that's a start! Everything has to start somewhere

if you can only go 10 - 15 minutes for now, that's fine - just make yourself do it every day
(but don't beat yourself up if you miss a day - just pick up and carry on)

When you can, gradually extend it - make it 10 mins per day then 15 mins then 20 minutes.

or 10 minutes twice a day.

irishdadx4

Sounds like you are doing an awesome job so far. It's wonderful that your doctor is supportive of your use of ketosis and intermittent fasting protocols. These will do wonders for your health. Understand that you are getting healthy to lose weight, not losing weight to get healthy. Please study up on the effects of a keto diet, and IF on your metabolic processes, doing keto right will most likely change your blood markers , especially cholesterol, in ways that if your doctor still follows conventional medical protocols with alarm her. You need to understand why keto does this, and that it is not the problem. Look up Dr. Ken Berry, Dr. Eric Berg, Dr. Annette Boz, Dr. Mandel, Ben Azadi FDN-P. Good Luck, and keep working

vegasleo79

You sound very determined and I wish you the best of luck! Be sure to focus on protein, healthy fats, and quality satiating carbs. You’ve got this!

andkaylym

Hey girl! I’m only 32, no major health issues yet, but if you’re in need of an accountability partner, I’d love to help with that! I’ve got 2 littles, work full time/mandatory ot, and starting at 352 earlier this week, I’ve done the yo-yo diets, I just can never get back down to where I’m happy! My cousin is getting married end of September 2024 and I’d love to be down to 200 as well!

Kait_Dee

This is exciting!! Congratulations on your initial losses and your desire to get healthier. It’s meaningful - don’t lose the desire.

I lost 115lbs with tracking and exercise. It’s hard when you first start (I could literally only do 15 minutes of the elliptical + stretching when I started), but staying diligent and honest with yourself (as another poster mentioned) is so important. Feel free to link up with me - I’m always down for more friends (You can also find me on IG at @kait_dee - I’m very active there too!)

You’re amazing Lady - you can do whatever you put your mind to!

SaraFayF

Hey girl! Congratulations on starting! It's the first step. I started at 364 pounds. Truthfully it was way more but I didn't step on the scale for three months before starting my journey. It is 398 days later and I now weigh 234 pounds. My goal weight is 160, so I still have some way to go.

I did it with MyFitnessPal, keto and intermittent fasting. Macros were set to 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbs. My IF times were 14:10 and my eating window was noon-10pm. I never cheated on keto and I tracked everything I ate. I lived of of eggs, bacon, cheese, beef and chicken, salads, fatty dressings.

I did not work out until was u der 300 pounds. And when I did start working out it was walking. First around the block. Then two. Then a mile. I'm up to 3 now. And some weights and yoga. Conquer food before you even think about exercise.

I have reversed my blood pressure issues. I have stopped having debilitating back pain. The reflux and irregularities are gone. My doctor is just amazed at how quickly it happened. Keep in mind, I am not insulin resistant. I was not even prediabetic. Talk to your doctor and keep regular checkups of lab work levels.

In the past year I have learned how to eat in a way that fuels my body and fuels my soul. Remember that this is not a diet you are on. You are in the middle of a life transformation. Fall in love with the food and journey. Deep dive into Pinterest and try every recipe that sounds good. Stay away from the almond flour recipes for at least six months. They take some acquired tastes lol. Oh and Check out zero carb tortillas if you need something "bready" 😁

You got this girl!