first weigh – in; shock & horror

MzHornedOne

I remember that feeling well!

You've taken the first step in losing weight.

Walk, lift weights, and ABOVE ALL; watch what you eat! Count your calories and make healthier choices! Protein coupled with veggies (green leafy veggies are best) are your best friend. If you have to eat starch brown rice, quinoa, or sweet potatoes are your best options!

scarrletti_girl

just cutting down and setting a nice calorie deficit and that will help lose weight along with cleaning around the house or cooking yourself or doing other things too instead of your wife doing everything will also help you feel better and help with the weight process not to mention i am sure she will appreciate it. coming on here and weighing yourself is step one. your doing a good job so far keep it up. I am sure we would all enjoy to see a success story come from you! good luck.

chromecat

Once I got to that point where I got scarred, it completely changed my mindset. For the first time I thought of this journey as long term life changes instead of jumping in for a quick fix. Start slow with baby steps and you will be amazed at how things start turning around for you. I haven't started doing much in the way of exercise yet, mainly because of breathing issues but as I lose the weight, that starts fixing itself and I'm gradually adding exercise in. There are a lot of helpful suggestions on here, just pick the ones that are suited to you since you know yourself the best. Above all, don't get discouraged. Plan this in terms of months and years instead of day to day weigh-ins. The picture section of the message boards is great inspiration as well. Good luck!.

Jsphine

Congratulations, as well, for taking the first step~!
I don't want to repeat what many others have already said about how to do diet and exercise and such.
But, here's what I am trying, in addition to the obvious diet part; I am trying to change my relationship with my sofa. I absolutely love my couch! It's my comfort zone! But the more I spend time on it, less I make progress towards healthy living, at least that's how I felt one day. Now,I try to limit my time on the sofa. This includes limiting tv-time and forcing myself to eat ANYTHING and everything (snacks or meals) at the table (that's what it's there for anyway). And all the rest of the day I end up doing more of the 'other' stuff I need to get done; totally gives you the sense of accomplishment, even if it's doing one load of laundry or dishes, cleaning up one little corner that's been bothering me, etc. You get the picture, right?

This article also went around FB recently, and I think this might give you some ideas of things you can do to improve your daily routines apart from diet/exercise. After all, healthy and quality living is not solely based on food and exercise:
http://www.vtydknow.com/2014/03/01/60-small-ways-to-improve-your-life-in-the-next-100-days

Good luck!

aarar

Sometimes that panic and shock when you finally decide to face the number on the scale is what's needed to make the change.

You've got this. There will be lots of ups and downs along the way, the secret is to just keep going.

jennifer_417

Youve gotten some great advice here...so I'll just add:

You. Got. This.

Pirate_chick

recognizing the problem is the first step. Remember, you didn't gain all of it at once, you're not going to lose it all at once. Hang in there!!

pettychia

Weighing in and being horrified is step 1. I was mortified the day I stepped on a friend's scale and realized I was 200lbs. That was nearly 4 years ago. I started with diet and then moved to some cardio and finally to weightlifting. Am 35 years old and in better health than when I was in high school. I did it. Others here have done it. You can do it too.

Don't focus on the sheer amount you want to lose, just take it a step at a time. You'll get in a groove and it will become your new life. Here's a mantra; It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

timberowl

My biggest advice is to PLAN out your food. It sucks and it's a pain, but it's the best way I've found to stay on track. Just "winging it" every day always results in overeating, or having no calories left for dinner.

adopp062715

This guy is super inspirational. He started heavier than you are now and has officially lost 201 pounds. Read his blog and see what you can accomplish with just changing your diet and going for a walk.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BeingKevin/view/gone-200-pounds-636209

cindyj7

There are so many wonderful people on MFP, and they have given you some very solid advice. And these are people who have done it themselves, so they feel your pain and know the road you're on. I just would like to add a couple of thoughts:

So much of this is mental. You must learn to love yourself, and cease the self name-calling. You are worth the battle, and YOU must believe that. How to do that, you might ask? I would suggest possibly finding someone you can talk to, a counselor, priest, etc. to try to understand what brought you to this point in life.

I wish you the best, and feel free to friend me. :flowerforyou:

smallstuff76

Already took a very big step... The first step! You can do this!

snudgie

Well done for getting yourself on here and for being so wonderfully honest in your post here.
Now, my question is this... will you be one of those who joins, gets started, plunges in headfirst, then disappears again, or will you be one of those amazing success stories that turn up a year or two later on this site ?

Hi – good question. By the way, this is the first post that I am replying to. I've just logged on for the first time today, and I'm absolutely overwhelmed to see that there are 90+ messages in reply to my post. In fact I am still on the first page of posts!

In light of the number of messages, I hope people understand that I am grateful for every single one of these encouraging messages, but I don't think it's possible to write 90+ replies!

But you ask very good question. Part of my failure has been - has always been - difficulties following through. Making a start is easy, and the initial momentum that beginner's enthusiasm can provide tends to peter out.

But I need to stick with this. I am well aware how damaging my diabetes can be, I can feel the danger lurking around the corner when I wake up breathless and in a panic, knowing that this is my own body betraying me. Now is the time to act. I've never been quite this aware of my mortality. And to tell you the truth, even now I would like nothing better than to indulge in short-term comforts. I want to sit on the sofa, watch classic movies and scoff alarming amounts of chocolate biscuits, hot apple pie, and coffee with whipped cream, and follow it up with a double belt of delightful, golden, rich Lagavulin. I want to curl up under a warm blanket, next to my wife, each of us with a cat in our laps, and laugh at the worst this rotten winter can throw at us.

So sorry, I think I started fantasising a little bit there. You see what I mean, I'm already making it difficult for myself, already sabotaging myself, and I recognise that. I realise that I have to make the right choice between the short-term goal of all that food, comfort and warmth and the long-term goal of health and longevity. What I need to get into my head is that once I am healthy, food, comfort and warmth are perfectly legitimate attainable goals, as long as they're balanced within a healthier lifestyle.

The reason I signed up here, and it was really bloody hard to do so, was to force myself a little bit. I am normally a habit of not involving anyone's help for fear that I may have to stick with it and show results. I am a deadly shy person, even online, so this was really me, in a moment of strength, deciding to go public and ask for help.

So I'm going to do my very best and even if I'm having a bad day or week, I will make it a point to login and check in regardless. The more frequently one tries, the greater the odds of eventually succeeding, and that's what I am doing.

Thank you very much for your post - I am now going to read through the next 80 messages or so!

Cheers,

Pascal

snudgie

you got this man..!

Here is what I would suggest…

Create a 500 per day calorie deficit …either through MFP or using TDEE method. Since you are new MFP Method might be easier to understand. Just set MFP to one pound per week loss and start logging your food and make sure that you NET the number that MFP gives you…so if MFP gives you 2000 calories a day and you enter walking 1 mile and get a burn of 100 calories then you should eat 2100 calories less the 100 burned = 2000 net.

Get a food scale. Seriously, get one. Do not rely on eye balling, measuring cups etc, this is an easy way to overestimate calories and think you are eating less when you are really not.

Make sure you log/weigh/measure/everything that goes into your mouth.

Do NOT restrict any foods. Sugar, carbs, bread, etc, etc are not bad for you …overeating is what made you put on weight. I follow the 80/20 rule 80% healthy and 20% whatever you want = pizza, ice cream, cookies, cake etc. Now, if you have trigger foods that make you binge, you should not keep them in the house until you learn some moderation …

Work out/move more…at first this might be a walk around the block; then a two mile walk, three mile walk, etc;

Hi - thanks for the kind reply and encouragement! This will be my very next purchase, a food scale!
I've set up MFP to give me a deficit of, I believe is 700 cal or more. I know some people will think that might be excessive, but my starting weight is rather high.

I was actually thinking of not only cutting calories in the traditional way, but occasionally combining it with Dr Roger Mosley's 5:2 diet, aka intermittent fasting. The goal here for me is not even so much the weight loss as it is the "defatting" for lack of a better word, of the liver and pancreas, in an attempt to reverse or at least slow down my diabetes.

thanks for all the tips – I hope to meet you again on the boards here. Do send a friend request if I haven't already sent you one.

take care,

Pascal

sentaruu

you have shown tremendous strength in even coming online to seek the help of complete strangers. you are more than capable of triumph here. make it a point every day to come on mfp, go start lurking the forums. there is a wealth of information on here. you can do this, you are worth it. your wife is worth it. if you find that you need to talk to someone or need guidance, don't hesitate to contact a professional. there is no shame in it brother. good luck!

snudgie

I would like to follow your story on your blog. If you don't want to share publicly will you send me a message please.

Hi - still getting through all these replies! It's unbelievable! Anyway, please do follow my blog. I'm here to help myself, but equally I would love to be of help to others as well. I think it's set to public, so please do check it out if you like. Glad to know I'm not boring people!!

Hope to talk to you some more on the forums - cheers!

Pascal

snudgie

Look I'm gonna go against the general flow of this thread (and be a bit mean) and say that at 430lb the 'just diet/log food/etc' ship has long sailed. Yes, there are success stories out there but the odds of you winning at doing this on your own (without professional help) are close to zero. Even if you're blessed with staggering reserves of willpower the outlook is not particularly encouraging.

Thank you for your interesting post – oh mean one

No worries about making your opinions known – you make some excellent points.

Where is the line at which the ship has sailed? Is it 100lbs ago? Fifty? Or is trying to shed weight solely within the purview of those who have just a few vanity pounds to shed? Or somewhere in between? Whatever my weight is, and I could weigh 1000lbs and still feel the same way, the truth is still that trying is better than not trying, and trying anything is better than giving up. I've not given up.

Addressing your three approaches:

1) of course this is psychological in origin. I didn't use to have quite the relationship with food that I do now, but I am guessing there was something in me that said "give up, eat yourself to death". But before that point, years and years of obliviousness. Believe it or not, a person can make him or herself completely oblivious even to extreme extents.
There are 800 pound people who suddenly come to the realisation they have got so heavy. for some obscure reason, that thought hadn’t hit them as they were wheezing, and shovelling carbonara into their 750Lb bodies just a year earlier.
Serious heroin users delude themselves into believing they are just weekend warriors, and I'm pretty sure there are diabetics in denial because they don't feel sick, or they still have all their toes.

2) my current state of health is relatively poor. I have (controlled) high blood pressure, I am a type II diabetic (on medication), I have a sore back constantly and yes, sleep apnoea. Although to be fair, my back issues began after an injury when I weighed 190 pounds. Not that the excess weight helps of course.

3) there are days when I take in way too much energy, and there are days when I take in about 1500 calories. I occasionally fast for a day in an attempt to do the 5:2 diet as popularised by Dr Michael Mosley. I don't drink fizzy drinks other than one bottle (350 mL) of Coca-Cola a month, which is my treat. I actually get a lot of vegetable and fibre in my diet, and I tend to avoid refined flour and sugar. I still get them of course, but nothing like it used to be two years ago, when I was diagnosed with the type II diabetes.
my main weaknesses are my legendary lack of activity, and portion control. I’m not particularly addicted to any one food, but at dinnertime, one burrito is better than two, and on Sundays a full English is sacrosanct.

I have kept track of my food and exercise sporadically, however, and I am hoping that by outing myself here as a fatty and asking for help, I will feel compelled to be more diligent in future about sticking to the programme.

And of course I am not doing this on my own; I do have a doctor and a diabetes specialist involved – and although I am fully aware that my health is my responsibility and no one else's, I am still somewhat disappointed at the lack of their involvement. But those problems have more to do with the American health care system – or lack thereof. I am still actively looking for specialists who were a bit more communicative than the ones I am working with now.

I am not in principle opposed to the idea of weight loss surgery either, in fact it has been at the forefront of my mind for a year or longer, and my doctor is aware of this. However I am still relatively young (44 – don't laugh!) and would like to have one more go at it. It's not like I've been trying and failing forever, I had just given up for a long time and not bothered trying, so I think I owe it to myself to try once more now.

Sorry for the lengthy reply – it was not my intention to unleash 'War and Peace' on you.
thank you very much for your message, and don't ever think of holding back.

Thanks,

Pascal

sentaruu

to be honest, weight loss surgery is just as much work as diet and exercise. the only difference is your body is more ready to tell you that you're full. you still have to limit your intake and watch what you eat, on top of daily physical activity.

snudgie

Hi everybody!

When I logged onto the computer a few hours ago, I have to admit I didn't go to my fitness pal first, simply because I didn't expect much of a reaction. Instead I went to Facebook like I do every day because, and I am just going to come out with it, I am addicted to scrabble. There, I've said it!

Then I phoned my wife, who is away for a conference for four days, and I am the kind of sad git who needs to talk to is better half on a regular basis. she then asked me, did you get any replies to your message on fitness pal? I told her I'd get back to her. When I logged on here, I read my personal messages and accepted some friends (friend requests are always accepted by the way). it was only then that I realised there were more than 90 replies to my original message. I was, and am still completely overwhelmed, not just by the sheer number, but certainly also by the amount of support people are willing to lend. if I'd known this was such a friendly place, I would have posted here sooner.

it's been a few hours, and I've been replying to a few messages, but there yet so many more that I haven't even read. I just want everybody here to know that I am very grateful, and am feeling very welcome here! But it is just not going to be possible to reply to every single post individually – for one thing there wouldn't be time left to exercise. But I welcome each and every post, and will be reading the next 60 odd messages over the next hour or two.

But before I do that, I am going to make my daily blog entry, something I am making myself do, so that even if I lapse and stuff myself with eclairs, I will document that as well.

Thank you everyone, and see you again soon!

Pascal

popshoveit

You are doing something amazing for yourself and everyone you love!