Anyone lose a significant amount?

Rhester85

Hey, I was wondering if anyone has lost a large amount of weight. How did you get started? Currently I get out of breath so easy and have no motivation to get exercising. I am trying to stop drinking my calories and eat better but they exercise part is getting to be the harder part. I'd like to have some advice and motivation from someone who has been there. Thanks!

DeterminedFee201426

i use to wei 145 now iam 119 pounds 26 pounds losted ... significant lol ? i use to be the same way out of breath because i was'nt fit ,, then my body got stronger now iam doing well at 119 pounds i still get tierd but not tierd enough to stop my works on working out

zillah73

Just do your best and, I promise, your best will get better and better with time. I found that as I improved – got stronger, built up my endurance, recovered faster between workouts, etc. – I enjoyed working out more. I started out only able to do about 30 minutes on the treadmill at 2.8mph. This past Saturday I ran my fourth 10K. Also, it helps if you find something you really love. Doesn't matter if it's crossfit or insanity, zumba, spinning or prancercising around a shopping mall. If you enjoy it, you are more likely to do it and stick with it.

Spreyton22K

Hi there,

I guess I qualify have gone from 126 kgs (268 lbs) to 50 kgs (110 lbs). Have been maintaining that for 2 years....have lost more just lately unintentionally....long health issues.

I'm now 51 years, totally menopaused out and chronically ill.....started out so heavy that exercise other than walking (even that) was a chore.

For what it is worth.....I think sorting out your food/fluid intake is the 1st port of call.

Log everything that you eat/drink....get it under your belt for a couple of months, I totally support not drinking calories (but if you REALLY like the stuff, don't go all out denying everything you enjoy otherwise this may lead to you quitting). Once you are eating less than you are burning by even just getting from A to B and you start losing weight, I am sure that you will find alot of benefit from even a rather small portion of weight lost. Our bodies are pretty resilient....and even 5-10 lbs would make doing stuff easier and more enjoyable.

Good luck

kittenful

It helps to try different things and find something you really enjoy. For me, it happened to be Jillian Michaels workouts. It may be something completely different for you. Everything is hard at first (I used to get winded from climbing a single flight of stairs) but if you keep at it, giving what you can to each day, you build yourself up a little bit more. Try things out. See what you enjoy doing (even if it's as simple as walking, for the moment). Then get to it!

sun_fish

Not sure what you consider a large amount of weight, I have lost 56 pounds. For me the most important things are choosing a modest calorie deficit (that ensures I get to still eat the things I love - in moderation), use a food scale to weigh my food to make sure my logging is accurate, and do exercise that I love. Try not to change too much at once, make a small change until it becomes a habit (like logging all your food), then choose something else to change (like weighing all your food). Remember that motivation is hard to come by, it's habits you want to create.

_Resolve_

Start slow and increase every week.

I started riding the recumbent bike 3x a week that was 16 months ago. I was 375 and could hardly do 25 minutes a day. Today I am 210 and training for a century ride. You have to tell yourself every single day you are worth it and you can do it, you wont find the motivation to make the changes you are ready to make anywhere but inside you. Once you find it, go crush your goals and never give up. It's going to hurt, there will be tears, blood and lots of sweat but I guarantee its all worth it.

Find what you like to do and when you get good at that, mix in things that are still uncomfortable and get good at those and keep changing it up. Track and weigh all your food, be honest with yourself, don't get hung up on going over by a little or under by a little. Give any change in caloric intake at least 3 weeks to see a change, if its not working then change it up, rinse and repeat.

You'll figure it out, good luck

Flying_Joe

I can tell you that I was pretty much unable to exercise while around 360lbs. Too out of breath and too hard on knees.

Amazing difference as I lost weight down to 330lbs. Started easy with a pedometer to challenge myself, and using my WiiFit. Even with the 30 lbs lighter, I felt able to do low-impact exercise and walk way more easily.

Now that I'm around 70 lbs lighter, I find I can walk very fast and longer, and when Cycling I can really crank up the speed without being too out of breath.

I'm confident that with a bit more loss, I'll start some aerobics classes as well and who knows, maybe start some slow running!

So, my experience is that exercise becomes easier very quickly. Don't get discouraged...

nikkituck56

I hate exercising. I do it and I love myself after I have finished, but I hate starting. You know.. getting up off my big butt and making myself do something. I get tired, sometimes even feel like passing out. That is when I take 20 seconds to breath and get right back to it. Believe me… no one can make exercise any easier except yourself. I love Leslie Sansone walking videos. You can start out just doing a mile. 15 minutes is all it takes. That is where I started, and it was an "easy" workout that was hard for me. Now I am doing the "4 Fast Miles" which has "boosted walking" aka jogging. I love how I feel after finishing all 50 minutes of it.

I started exercising at 250 and I am now down to 238. I have built my stamina and ability to actually work out in just one month. If you need help/support, add me as a friend.

tanyoshka

Hey there! I lost 45 lbs (is that significant?) without any formal plan at all. My cousin had asked me to teach her how to serve a volleyball and I was getting completely out of breath without evening moving my feet. The next day I just started walking/jogging. I would jog as far as I could then walk until I had enough breath to continue. It took me weeks, but I finally, at 24 years old, was able to run a full mile for the first time in my life. One became two, two became three, and I finally got to the point where I could run up to 5 miles without stopping. Because I was working so hard with that, it caused me to be a lot more careful with what I ate. I didn't want to undo all the work I had done the night before. I finally took the time to pay attention to calories. I'm a sucker for good food, so I didn't necessarily eat better, just less. I lost my first 45 pounds in about a year doing it that way.

I know what it's like to get winded walking up a flight of 5 tiny steps. Just stick with it! Your lungs are pretty quick to adapt, so give it a few weeks and you'll surprise yourself with how much farther you can go. I would also try out the Couch to 5K plan if you're thinking about running. It's a totally manageable way to get your endurance up from nothing to running over 3 miles in about 8 to 10 weeks.

With that said, a friend once told me "you lose weight in the kitchen and get fit in the gym." It's totally true. If you're main goal is to loose weight then I would concentrate more on watching your calories. Just one candy bar can represent over an hour on the treadmill. For some people it's easier just not to have eaten it in the first place.

LosingLaurensWay

For me it was a complete mental change. Something clicked in me and i told myself I'm doing this for Me! My uncle is a marathon runner and he always told me to stop if it hurts but push your self a little more each time. I never believed people when they said working out was a stress reliever but it honestly is once you get going it really is.

My biggest advice is to work on yourself mentally. Its a LONG road and there will be ups and downs and it is only in your own personal strength that you will have the fuel to go the whole distance. I lost 120 lbs in a year and a half, then plateaued from October till now, gained back 15 and just re-lost it. It not going to be a straight shot down. There will be times when all your hard work will look like it is lost but you have to stay positive.

When you have that personal drive the working out and calorie counting will become like breathing.

You can eat less but there will come a time when you will have to start eating healthy. I suggest doing a slow transition. cutting cold turkey will only make you crave it more.

runningagainstmyself

The most I have lost is 85lb. I unfortunately have gained some back but am working on losing it again and keeping it off for good.

My only word of wisdom is this: You only fail if you give up.

Nedra19455

Is the weather getting nicer where you are? If you're like me and have been miserable all winter, the fresh air feels amazing! I started MFP when I bought a fitbit 3 weeks ago. I use the fitbit and MFP together to keep me motivated. The fitbit motivated me to walk ~10,000 steps a day, and it tells MFP how many more calories I can eat, which motivates me further because I never feel like I am depriving myself.

I don't work out. I hate it. All I do is walk more. I don't put on special work-out clothes and I don't let myself work up a sweat. I use any excuse I can to put my daughter in her stroller and go for a walk. I love seeing the number of steps and the number of miles go up. I love logging in to MFP and having another snack's worth of calories added to my bank for the day because of the hard work (but really it's easy because the weather is so beautiful) I have been doing.

I have a goal of 75 lbs of weight loss. I have been at it for 3 weeks and have lost 7 lbs so far. I know it doesn't seem like much, but for someone who has basically never lost weight -- only gained and gained since the day I was born -- it's a big deal.

thomaszabel

I lost 60 lbs. Not going to lose any more, because I'm at a healthy weight, and using MFP to maintain.

I started easy and built up. Started by simply counting calories. Then I started cutting out junk food, and replacing it with real food. Then I started walking a mile a day, then added in a quarter mile of jogging, then a half mile, etc. etc.

Training for a marathon now, but it really took me about 18 months to get to this point.

So yeah. It works. You don't have to exercise, but it helps a ton. Just start up, and don't quit. If you miss a day or two, or a week, or a month, don't feel embarrassed and avoid the website. Come back and pick up where you left off. And when you hit your goals, don't quit MFP. Stick with it for support, because losing weight takes effort, but so does maintaining.

RWTBR

Yes, I did. Take a look at my profile pic. It's the most rewarding thing I've ever done. I love the fitness lifestyle. Message me or add me and I can take time to give you lots of info.

Rhester85

Thanks everyone, I really didn’t have an exact idea for a significant amount. I figured I would leave it to everyone to judge on their own. I really welcome advice from anyone who was able to get motivated and stick with it. I have given up so many times and I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life.

MickeyCastello

Assuming you work, perhaps you might consider changing jobs to something more active. This was helping me maintain quite a bit. Now that I'm not working again, I have to either start waking, eat less, or find another part-time job... and very soon too.