Just Starting Out - Overwhelmed

bonestm

You guys are awesome, so encouraged. Thank you Thank you!

My New Goals:
-Get a food scale
- Walk for 20-30 min 3x's
- Make peace with giving up soda (even diet soda)
- Tell myself, I can do this, because....I CAN do this.

So happy to have you all!

That is an AWESOME start!! YOU GOT THIS!!

I am a DietCoke-Aholic so I can relate to #3

jaimeeknudson

I also have the same weight goal and 2 little under 5 so overwhelming to meet that goal, even a small one
Right there with ya, sista!! :-) Good luck!!!!

austinsneeze

Welcome to MFP! This is seriously the most supportive group of people I've met Feel free to add me, good luck. Don't feel overwhelmed!

_ItsMyTime

I used MFP 3 years ago to lose over 35 pounds and I am looking to lose that and more again. I learned that the support I received from this page is what kept me going. Knowing that I could vent about my frustrations to people who have been there / done that made a HUGE difference.

Unless I am traveling for work, I will be on here every day. I will support you--cheer on your victories and give you an ear or shoulder when you are feeling down. Let's do this together. Let's meet our goals and be the best we can be.

I've sent you a request..... and anyone else can add me if they'd like! :flowerforyou:

gregs_gal

Some things that have helped me while losing weight:

Plan ahead. I don't have kids at home, but I do work full time. I find that if I do things like pack my snacks the night before, portion out leftovers so they're easy to take for lunch, or make overnight oatmeal that I can have for breakfast with little prep in the morning helps me immensely. Then I'm less likely to grab an unhealthy snack/lunch and the only thinking I have to really do regarding food is when I get home at night and have to make dinner. Additionally, find healthy and flavorful meals you and your family love. Eating these kinds of meals will be easier to maintain because it will feel less like a diet, which is definitely better since no one wants to be on a diet forever after. Plus you should be making changes to your lifestyle, not just for now while you're losing weight.

Don't entirely deprive yourself of the "unhealthy" things you love. If you want a glass of wine with dinner, have one occasionally. If you want a cookie or some ice cream, have a cookie or a serving of ice cream. Just don't go crazy and have a whole bottle of wine yourself or an entire batch of cookies or a whole tub of ice cream in one sitting. If you're like me, depriving yourself of these kinds of things entirely and making them "forbidden" only makes me want to eat them that much more.

Drink lots of water. I bought myself a 32 oz water bottle that I can see through and watch how much I've had to drink throughout the day. I used to be horrible at drinking enough water, so I made myself a goal to drink at least 1.5 - 2 bottles every day while I'm at work, knowing I'll drink more when I'm at the gym later and while I'm hanging out at home for the evening.

If you can afford it, get a gym membership (assuming you don't have one already). The only reason I say this is because I have an easier time going to the gym than telling myself I'll work out at home. The gym I go to is $10/month and I pay an additional $10 to attend as many of their classes as I want - a lot of gyms have the same or similar deals. Some gyms also offer either kid fitness classes or day care. If they offer kid fitness classes, perhaps you could take your kids to that while you work out - then your family is getting healthy with you!

I find that setting smaller, more attainable goals for weight loss is easier for me. Think of it this way - if your stepping stone goal is 5 lbs this month and after two weeks you've lost 2 pounds, you've reached 40% of your goal. If you're looking at your overal 70 lb goal, that 2 lbs is only 2.8%. I'm much more excited about the 40%.

Finally, celebrate the changes and progress you've made. When you lose a pound, be happy that you lost a pound! That took work and it brings you one step closer to your final goal.

Sunshine2plus2

Hello and welcome! I am 34, working mother to 4,happily married! Now stop the pressure you are putting on yourself! Eat right and exercise and the weight will come off and you will feel better! One day at a time!! Slow and steady wins the race! Good luck!

bluelena

Don't try to add an exercise routine and fix your diet at the same time. Focus on one at first, and when you get comfortable with that, add the other. It is really easy to get frustrated and burnt out doing too much at once!

Pick an exercise routine that you enjoy. If you don't like it, you'll never stick with it. For example, I hate running and I hate cardio! So most of my exercise comes from yoga and weight lifting. I have a friend who hates lifting, so she mostly runs. People will say that X plan is more effective than Y plan, but when it comes down to it, the most effective plan is one that you will stick with!!

This is really good advice.

Also: Go back and read Trogalicious' post. There's a reason that he gets quoted over and over again.

judyde

- Make peace with giving up soda (even diet soda)

You don't need to give up regular or diet soda. It's something that you may likely WANT to give up when you see that a 12oz can of regular soda is 140 calories and you can have a much more filling and healthy yogurt for that many caloires. And there's nothing wrong with diet soda if it helps you meet your calorie goals.

I'd suggest not focusing on what you "can't" or "shouldn't" eat. Just eat a moderate amound of healthy food and try to stay in a moderate calorie deficit.

P.S. If the wedding is at the end of April, that's about 7 weeks away. Even at 1 pound per week, that's 7 pounds and with the 5 you've already lost, that's 12. MAYBE you'll be able to lose more than a pound a week. Don't give yourself a deadline or timetable! Just keep at it slowly and surely, and that's how it will stay off.

helaurin

I share your pain!

1. You work full-time; so do I. Sedentary desk job.
2. You have children to care for at home and find time at a premium; so do I - as a second-time around parent (caring for my granddaughter).
3. You have a long-term goal of 50+ pounds; likewise, at the start of my journey, I was at 194 and have been told my ideal weight should be about 120 lbs, so my overall long-term goal is 74 pounds.

I'm at 167.4 now. But it has not been a steady loss. Rather, I've had to plan my weight loss journey in stages.

I lost about 25 lbs... in about 14 weeks. That was stage 1. My employer had brought in consultants to motivate some of the heavier employees (myself included) to being healthier (and less costly on the health insurance). I use the space between stages as a time for my body to get used to the new weight, for me to reinforce improved nutritional/exercise/lifestyle habits, and to plan the next weight loss stage.

One thing I learned is that rather than shooting for a definite goal of "X" pounds per week, plan for a percentage of your weight's weight loss. The experts that were brought in said that 1% a week is a good goal; Someone weighing, for example, 170 lbs should aim to lose about 1.7 lbs per week; someone weighing 280 should try for 2.8 pounds per week.

Log your food every day. But also be accurate in your logging; measure your food. Don't just eyeball it. A typical cereal bowl often can easily hold two or three of the stated serving sizes. If you have (or can afford) a decent food scale, get one and use it.

Exercise when/where you can; it doesn't have to be dedicated 30 minute chunks of time (although you'll get more bang for the buck by exercising and getting your metabolism up by doing 30+ minute chunks), if you can't snag 30 minutes at a shot, don't stress over it. Try getting up 15 minutes earlier than usual and using those 15 minutes in some form of muscle-building exercise at home (remember, muscle uses more calories than fat). You don't have to have a treadmill, elliptical, etc. at home. Instead, use those 15 minutes to do strength exercises. Got a couple of empty plastic milk jugs? Fill them with water to a comfortable weight, and use them to do various hand-weight exercises. Side benefit: as you get stronger, you don't need to go out and buy heavier hand weights; if you find having them full with water becomes too easy, switch to sand inside. Sneak exercise in when and where you can.... if you live in an area where snow keeps landing and usually have someone else shovel it, take that snowfall as a chance to do a workout with a purpose.

Make sure you are getting enough water AND also enough fiber. Both will help you fill up. A lot of people go by the 8 glasses per person per day guideline; others like the 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight rule. A 150-lb person would need 75 ounces of water; a 200-lb person would need 100 ounces of water. If you aren't a big vegetable eater, you can help supplement your fiber requirements by adding a tasteless soluble fiber product (example: Benefiber) to some of your food or water. Don't do a sudden increase; gradually increase it over a week or two until you're getting the recommended amount of fiber (1.4 grams per 1,000 calories eaten is a basic calculation).

Consider getting your Resting Metabolic Rate tested; many local YMCA's will do that for a relative pittance ($20 - $35). You'll know exactly how many calories your body requires to sustain itself if it was "at rest" 24x7, what your "maintenance" range of calories is, and what your "lose weight" range of calories is at. Don't assume that eating less is always better; if you drop too low, your body will start targeting to get its energy needs from muscle, rather than fat - and that's the opposite of what you want.

And speaking of the YMCA's - check to see if your local Y offers free child care while you work out. Many of them offer up to two hours of free childcare while you are in the building working out. That's a great time to get the cardio in, if you've been able to sneak in the strength training at home. If your local YMCA or other gym-of-choice doesn't offer childcare, it might still be worth it to get a babysitter (or friend/significant other/what have you) to watch your children for 90 minutes or so while you go to the gym, workout, shower and then come home.

SandraD1424

Take pictures! I was so hesitant to do it but when you have something to compare to, it is very, very motivating! Try not to be overwhelmed, one day at a time:)

Ketzalitzli

Start out with small goals. Focus on week by week and not the big picture. I actually invested in a Wii and got the Wii Fit video game and me and my kids work on that together. So fun! The other goal I started working on was enlisting some new ideas for adding more "green" food to our diet. Keep it simple, make it fun and it won't seem so overwhelming.

lucky9er06

You've already gotten lots of great advice... so I will just say, keep the faith!! A long-term goal like yours will teach you so much. Think of it as a blessing-- it will teach you a lot of patience, discipline, and faith in your own ability to change for the better. Think of the tough days as the days that teach you the most Keep the faith!

PS if you're looking for something more concrete: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/398850110720620266/

bodiva88

I think the most important thing I did was to start slowly. I actually just logged without worrying about totals the first two weeks. It was a real eye opener to what I was eating that was high-density in calories that wasn't really worth it. And what was low-density that I loved and could ad more of.

Then I set myself up to lose ½ pound a week. Even though I had 161 pounds to lose. I thought it made sense to gradually get used to less and less food and more and more exercise. And it made sense to lose slowly and get used to the changes in my body and mind. Because there are changes you go through in how you view food, your body, your whole self.

I lost 61 pounds in the first 15 months. I've been resting for the past 6 (gaining and losing the same 5 lbs over and over) and am now ready to start down again. But note: I didn't stop losing and just throw in the towel. I stopped losing and maintained. And that is a huge victory. Don't think of plateaus as failure. They are just rest stops on the journey. I've learned a lot and gained a lot of confidence in these 6 months. And I couldn't be more thrilled with what I've accomplished so far.

Patience, self love, reason. All important in figuring it all out. Good luck.

gidge680

You've already gotten some great advice, so I'll try not to duplicate. I also work full time and have a 2 year old and an almost 4 year old. What I've found is that it's pretty hard for me to work out at home without getting distracted/becoming a human jungle gym for my boys. I'm able to go in early to work and leave early sometimes, so I work out after work usually. I love having some time just for me to just zone out and do my thing. Lots of other people have luck getting up early and getting it out of the way before the kids wake up.

Lots of workouts are available on YouTube. It's worth looking there 1st before buying a dvd...sometimes the same dvd's are there for free.

I've found it helpful to set "fitness goals" as well as weight loss goals. For instance, if you're going to walk for a half an hour, try to walker farther/faster the next time. If you like jogging/running, the couch to 5k program or zombies, run! programs are great for this.

I personally have better results when I lift weights as well as some cardio. It can be a little intimidating, but once you do it a few times, it can be quite addictive.

The diet change that made the biggest difference for me was measuring out my cereal. I eat it every day..sometimes more than once.. and who knew my cereal bowl held multiple servings??

Anyway, just my 2 cents. Feel free to send a friend request if you want.