Losing 100lbs +

Dandman1990

This is my second day on the site and after a less than stellar first day (eating about 8x my daily sugar allowance) I'm having a little bit of a restart. I'm aiming to lose at least 104lbs hopefully over in an 18 month - 2 year time period and I was wondering if anyone thinking of a similar plan would be willing to share the experience (if so feel free to add me).
I'm a 23 year old male University student and will be having an extremely sedentary lifestyle for the forseeable future until a surgery (unrelated to my weight) and the following rehab are completed so I can exercise properly.

trogalicious

I post these tips all over the place. They may help.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.

scarrletti_girl

well good luck. It is a pretty tough thing to do but it is do able. I see people on here all the time doing it. good luck to you.

Dandman1990

I post these tips all over the place. They may help.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
Take the tips, links, and info above and make the cart more manageable to stay on.

Thanks Pretty much my whole goal at the moment is getting rid of processed food & portion control (the scales are already on the way!) I'm not really aiming for a certain calorie limit it's more an attempt to change my eating styles at first incorporating healthier options (for example not stuffing myself with two frozen pizzas and instead having a salad with a couple of chicken breasts etc.

Also Congratulations on the huge weightloss you achieved.

---

Thanks scarrletti I'm sure it'll be unbearable for a while but hopefully I'll be able to retrain myself to eat reasonably healthily and sort myself out!

Mistizoom

1) Exercise isn't necessary for weight loss. It's great for health for other reasons but doesn't have much to do with weight loss. In fact for extremely obese people it can be detrimental to weight loss. I exercised in July and only lost 3 lbs. Most months I have lost 6-10 lbs. Essentially I have lost 75 of my 78 lbs. lost without exercising.

2) If you are willing, try a low carb diet. Read The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by Phinney and Volek or Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes, or one of the Atkins books. Most people on MFP are very hostile to low carb diets, but frankly for a young fat man like yoursel fit is likely to work well and work quickly, and you won't have to worry about tracking or calories so much if you keep your carbs low. Just realize, LIKE ANY DIET, you need to remain on it for life or you will gain the weight back. So pick a plan that will work for you long term.

Good luck.

trogalicious

Thanks Pretty much my whole goal at the moment is getting rid of processed food & portion control (the scales are already on the way!) I'm not really aiming for a certain calorie limit it's more an attempt to change my eating styles at first incorporating healthier options (for example not stuffing myself with two frozen pizzas and instead having a salad with a couple of chicken breasts etc.

Also Congratulations on the huge weightloss you achieved.

Thanks dude. Best of luck with it. Nothing at all wrong with your approach, either.

Dandman1990

2) If you are willing, try a low carb diet. Read The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by Phinney and Volek or Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes, or one of the Atkins books. Most people on MFP are very hostile to low carb diets, but frankly for a young fat man like yoursel fit is likely to work well and work quickly, and you won't have to worry about tracking or calories so much if you keep your carbs low. Just realize, LIKE ANY DIET, you need to remain on it for life or you will gain the weight back. So pick a plan that will work for you long term.

Good luck.

Thanks! I've always been a little dubious about low carb diets because I don't really think cutting out one food group is too healthy especially if you plan to continue on the same diet for the rest of your life. That's why I'm after a more balanced approach to hopefully reach the point where I an afford to treat myself to something silly once in a while and enjoy the odd cheat day while maintining a healthy diet overall.

Mistizoom

2) If you are willing, try a low carb diet. Read The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by Phinney and Volek or Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes, or one of the Atkins books. Most people on MFP are very hostile to low carb diets, but frankly for a young fat man like yoursel fit is likely to work well and work quickly, and you won't have to worry about tracking or calories so much if you keep your carbs low. Just realize, LIKE ANY DIET, you need to remain on it for life or you will gain the weight back. So pick a plan that will work for you long term.

Good luck.

Thanks! I've always been a little dubious about low carb diets because I don't really think cutting out one food group is too healthy especially if you plan to continue on the same diet for the rest of your life. That's why I'm after a more balanced approach to hopefully reach the point where I an afford to treat myself to something silly once in a while and enjoy the odd cheat day while maintining a healthy diet overall.

No problem, it's your choice, but realize consumption of carbohydrates is not physiologically necessary for human beings. Atkins does allow plenty of carbs at the later phases, though, if one can tolerate them.

Dandman1990

I feel if I tried to stay on a low carb diet I'd be feeling ridiculously sorry for myself at the end of week 1. Though if you have the discipline I lack and it's working for you (if that's what you've done for the awesome 79lbs you've managed to lose so far) then more power to you I say!

Xtinesky

I think Trogalicious is spot on with everything that he said. His advice is awesome.

The best thing for you is to really start logging everything you eat, even if you don't modify your eating yet. You'll see where all the calories are coming from. I quickly learned that a small bucket of chips was 400 whopping calories! You will definitely want to modify your eating once you have a clearer picture of where all the calories and fat are coming from. But I think your attitude and approach so far is good, small choices will snowball into bigger things.

Be assured that you can start on this journey even without exercise: https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/2013/07/22/achieving-weight-loss-success-without-exercise/

ecw3780

Weigh and measure everything you eat, and log it no matter how horrible it is or how badly you blow it. Half the battle is just learning what a portion is, and figuring out how to make better choices. Also, log your food before you eat it! This is a game changer. You can't expect to make better decisions if you wait until after you eat something to find out if it was a good choice. Also, remember, weight loss is 80% diet, so it is totally doable without exercise.

kend61

Great advice from everyone. I would only echo what they have said and slow and steady and no major changes all at once, I believe you set yourself up when you do that. If you can just decide to make one change a week or month you will see its not all that unbearable. Unfortunately you need to come to terms that it is a lifestyle change. That was my biggest hurdle and to this day is still a big hurdle. I had to realize that certain things no matter if I modified the protions or not just had no room in my life because they would always set off triggers. Again this is where slow changes help, it allows you to slowly adapt to your new lifestyle without much food remorse.

As for exercise, if you can find the time to walk for a short time that will hopefully help you until you recover form surgery. A 5 minute walk is better than sitting on couch for 5 minutes.

Good luck to you and all the best.

Dandman1990

Great advice from everyone. I would only echo what they have said and slow and steady and no major changes all at once, I believe you set yourself up when you do that. If you can just decide to make one change a week or month you will see its not all that unbearable. Unfortunately you need to come to terms that it is a lifestyle change. That was my biggest hurdle and to this day is still a big hurdle. I had to realize that certain things no matter if I modified the protions or not just had no room in my life because they would always set off triggers. Again this is where slow changes help, it allows you to slowly adapt to your new lifestyle without much food remorse.

As for exercise, if you can find the time to walk for a short time that will hopefully help you until you recover form surgery. A 5 minute walk is better than sitting on couch for 5 minutes.


Good luck to you and all the best.

Thanks! I'd have to agree with the majority of you that've shown how it seems to be the case that making a little change each day could add up to something spectacular over the course of a few months. Also congratulations on knocking down 107lbs in what seems to be an amazingly short amount of time if you started around the time you started on the site!