I am Super Morbidly Obese according to my DR.

MyTime2Shine541

That is such a lovely term. I have to own it though. I am 5'3, and well over 300 lbs. I started this today as an aid to help me be accountable and lose the unflattering title. I will be on here every day, logging my food, exercise, and hopefully (when I get some friends) chatting, helping, venting, uplifting, and getting it reciprocated I have researched the best way to lose weight and keep it off, and the things that kept coming up were "logging food", and "having friends that are going through the same thing". From the looks of it, this site offers most of the tools needed ... the rest will be cals in vs cals out. I'm not sure how to add friends yet, so please send me a friend request if you haven't gotten bored yet and clicked off this post lol.... looking forward to hearing from ya'll .

trudywc2

Welcome and feel free to add me. I log everyday and always can use more friends

smarionette

All you can do is own it and move on.

There are a lot of helpful people (and not so helpful) on this site and both will help you find your way. Good luck!

vamaena

I can relate, when I started to pay attention to my weight last March I was 338lbs. Over these past few months I've lost nearly 45lbs. That's way more than I ever thought possible! For me, it was in part because I logged my food daily.

I'll send you a friend request if you'd like. (for future requests if you go to the person's profile page there's a button that says "add friend"

JenZombiemomSeim

Hello!! Welcome to the best step of your journey! Feel free to add me as well! I too log everyday and honestly, we can all use the support!

softwind

Welcome and Good Luck!

dawnsjourney

Good luck! I am here everyday as well.
Walk Strong!

melimomTARDIS

I haven't been morbidly obese, but I was obese once apon a time. I went from 175 to 120lbs, and I have learned a lot about myself along the way.

I found a way of eating that I love, and makes me feel full, and stay within my caloric budget. You'll have to play around a bit and see what gets you what you want.

My diary is open, I'm not a clean eater, or avid fitness person!

Cathalain

I was once where you are. When I started (it wasn't here, but elsewhere), I was 5'4" and 343 pounds with a BMI of 61.8. So, yeah - I know exactly how you're feeling.

I've lost quite a bit since, both on my own and through MFP, so it DOES work. Struggling a little still even now, but I've accepted that the battle is going to take some time to win. But win it I will.

You're in a good place!

marywalsh3718

Welcome!!! Best of luck to you!!!

MyTime2Shine541

thank you everyone for all the responses. Everyone is so welcoming ...

marekdds

Welcome! You have made an awesome life-changing decision. It takes patience, planning and perseverance. It is frustrating and joyful. It is hard work, but so worth it. It can be done. Add me if you think I can help.

nczuczu

Welcome to the journey of your lifetime. Glad you are here and making the first steps towards a healthier you. Please, feel free to add me as a friend.

As background, I was really good about watching what I eat and getting in exercise back in early 2013 and I dropped nearly 35 lbs. Life got in the way (or you could say I got lazy) and started back up again 2 weeks ago. It is not easy and old habits will come back into play. But with determination and honesty, you will have success.

I am a 49 year old married woman with 3 adult children (only 1 living at home) and currently weigh just under 230 lbs. I have a mini-goal of reaching 199 by Christmas. My husband and I are on this journey together, which helps having someone supporting and pushing me.

Feel free to add me as a friend.

heyjude345

Sent you a friend request. We used to live in Medford! Such a beautiful part of the country!

Missjulesdid

This label hit me HARD. When I realized I was not just morbidly obese, but SUPER morbidly obese. I cried. I was in the category with people who are bed bound. I was in the same category as people who have to have portions of a wall removed to get them out of the house. I was in the same category as people who can no longer drive, or clean themselves without assistance. The same category as people who can no longer shop even in "plus size" stores.

It's a hard pill to swallow. Sounds like you have the right attitude to make the change you need to make. There are a lot of awesome people here on MFP who lost over a hundred pounds without pills or surgery. I'm not one of them though-I had weight loss surgery after losing 70 pounds on my own. Do what YOU need to do to be successful and if it doesn't work then adjust your approach and keep trying. I have been really pushing for weight loss for the past SIX YEARS. Most of that time was spent bouncing between 310 to 345 ... Sounds discouraging but if I HADN'T been working, I likely would have ballooned to over 400 during that time.

I had a LOT stacked against me: Hypothyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic migraines, insatiable hunger, seemingly uncontrollable cravings, emotional eating and to top it all off my beloved husband became severely mentally ill resulting in a devastating divorce... What a mess... BUT I addressed EACH issue and this took time and patience and love for myself.

I wish you the very best on your journey. No matter how difficult it gets for you, just don't give up. Adjust your approach and try again and again and again. As many ways and as many times as it takes until you find what works for you and what YOU can live with.

MsRuhl

You've got this!! I have 160lbs more to loose and already lost 28. Its so hard being so overweight, I do 5k a day and am motivated more then ever to change my life style. I'm tired of not fitting into things, being scared of people making fun of me, and being uncomfortable in my own skin. Keep strong and keep plugging away!

katematt313

I have three suggestions:

1. The best advice I can think of is to add healthy habits to and delete unhealthy habits from your life, bit by bit. You don't have to do it all at once. That can get overwhelming and lead someone to just throw in the towel. Also, small accomplishments feel good and reinforce how well you are doing. Small accomplishments add up to big successes over time.

So, try doing a little bit at a time. Identify your biggest downfalls and tackle one at a time. Such as: Drink soda? Give that up. (I have a friend who gave up caloric drinks for Lent and lost 15 lbs in 40 days - this could be you). Don't exercise? Start taking 15-30 minute walks as tolerated. Love eating junk for dinner? Start off your new, healthy lifestyle by having salmon and steamed broccoli for dinner one night per week. Once you've mastered something new, and made it a permanent part of your life, move on to the next thing. You did not get "super morbidly obese" in one day, and you won't get to a normal weight in one day, either. Pacing yourself is the key to success. Being healthy takes time and training - you can't start at a sprint. Considering that you weigh more than 300 lbs, small changes that you make are going to result in a pretty quick weight loss. Speaking of training...

2. It is important to train your brain to be positive and healthy. This is the corniest thing ever, but my MD's APRN, who is working with me on my weight loss, taught me this technique, and it works 100% for me. This is how you train your brain:

When you eat healthy food, think to yourself "this tastes amazing, and is so good for me, I am awesome, look at me getting healthier", etc. When you eat something that you shouldn't, think to yourself, "this does not taste as good as I remember it, this is not making me healthier, I really do not want to eat this again." It sounds silly, but if you try to eat good food instead of junk food, and you reinforce your choices with this sort of brain training, you will feel better about yourself, and find that it is easier to make better choices in the future. You can do the same thing with exercise, such as by thinking when you exercise: "it feels so good to be out in the fresh air, I feel healthier day by day, I can feel my body getting stronger and slimmer with exercise, I really enjoy exercising, I am good at this".

And finally,

3. Question whether you really know what it will take reach your goals. I don't mean for this to be offensive. In fact, I will openly admit that when I started my weight loss journey, I was morbidly obese and I had little understanding of what it would take to become the healthy person I wanted to be. I could not do it on my own. I went to a nutritionist to learn how I needed to eat to be a healthy person, and started reading books to learn about how I could use exercise to meet my weight and fitness goals.

Considering meeting with a nutritionist, going to Weight Watchers, or taking other steps that make sense to you, in order to learn how to go about getting healthy in a sustainable and safe fashion. Also consider health issues that you may have, and how they might impact your plans. I started my journey as a T2 diabetic and worked with an endocrinologist to get that under control with diet and medicine. For me, it was either stick to a low carb diet or learn to get really comfortable with insulin and needles.

dannyxtyler

I remember the first time a doctor told me that. I honestly wish I'd never been told it, but whatever, I'm moving on now. I began to buckle down on June 1st, 2014. I'm down 45 pounds. I promised myself that if I could lose 50 pounds, I could lose all the weight that I want to lose. I'm 5 pounds away from that goal, and that will be a HUGE day for me. I will be adding you. I'd love for us to be in this together!

Vic8893

Welcome to MFP!

Feel free to add me!

DMMayhue

Welcome. I too am mobidly obese. I am new to the journey here. Feel free to add me.

ComingUntrue

Feel free to add me. I was 401 in June.

_Zardoz_

Welcome my biggest bit of advice is keep it simple. Don't over complicate it and don't demonise foods.

These links you may find helpful good luck

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=guide+to+sexypants&page=1#posts-18361594

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

ShannonMpls

Welcome. I weighed more than 300 pounds in June of 2011. I hit a healthy BMI in September of 2012 and have been maintaining ever since. You can do this, and MFP is a great tool to get you there.

jkestens63

A label is just a label. I had the same one put on me and it didn't matter because I always felt I was sexy and cute despite my weight, was healthy, and had plenty of friends/boyfriends. It wasn't until my weight affected my health and my lifestyle that I made the commitment to change. I'm still trying to reach my goal weight and I don't care if it takes another 2 years. As long as I don't give up, I won't fail. You will have ups and downs, its going to be hard but if you stick with it, you will love the new you. Feel free to add me as a friend!

bethira

I was 300+ lbs when I started this. I don't actually know my top weight because my scale wouldn't go over 300. I count my loss from 300 because that was the first weight I could verify on a scale (I wouldn't go to the doctor, I was too embarrassed). This has not been an easy road, and I'm still on it, will be for life, but MFP has been a great forum for me. It has kept me accountable, and the occasional infusion of bro-science aside has taught me how to be truly healthy in what I eat and now I move.

Please feel free to friend me. I log daily (even the ones I don't want to admit to). I'd be happy to help with your journey and I'm always looking for a new friend to help me on mine!

Flyers1010

Welcome! You've taken several really important first steps already, including joining this community of people who want to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

The support here is amazing. Be sure to come to the Community as often as you need to, to stay motivated and on track to making your life healthier and happier! Best of luck!

Feel free to add me as a friend. We are all cheering for you!!! :-)

jkestens63

I have three suggestions:

1. The best advice I can think of is to add healthy habits to and delete unhealthy habits from your life, bit by bit. You don't have to do it all at once. That can get overwhelming and lead someone to just throw in the towel. Also, small accomplishments feel good and reinforce how well you are doing. Small accomplishments add up to big successes over time.

So, try doing a little bit at a time. Identify your biggest downfalls and tackle one at a time. Such as: Drink soda? Give that up. (I have a friend who gave up caloric drinks for Lent and lost 15 lbs in 40 days - this could be you). Don't exercise? Start taking 15-30 minute walks as tolerated. Love eating junk for dinner? Start off your new, healthy lifestyle by having salmon and steamed broccoli for dinner one night per week. Once you've mastered something new, and made it a permanent part of your life, move on to the next thing. You did not get "super morbidly obese" in one day, and you won't get to a normal weight in one day, either. Pacing yourself is the key to success. Being healthy takes time and training - you can't start at a sprint. Considering that you weigh more than 300 lbs, small changes that you make are going to result in a pretty quick weight loss. Speaking of training...

2. It is important to train your brain to be positive and healthy. This is the corniest thing ever, but my MD's APRN, who is working with me on my weight loss, taught me this technique, and it works 100% for me. This is how you train your brain:

When you eat healthy food, think to yourself "this tastes amazing, and is so good for me, I am awesome, look at me getting healthier", etc. When you eat something that you shouldn't, think to yourself, "this does not taste as good as I remember it, this is not making me healthier, I really do not want to eat this again." It sounds silly, but if you try to eat good food instead of junk food, and you reinforce your choices with this sort of brain training, you will feel better about yourself, and find that it is easier to make better choices in the future. You can do the same thing with exercise, such as by thinking when you exercise: "it feels so good to be out in the fresh air, I feel healthier day by day, I can feel my body getting stronger and slimmer with exercise, I really enjoy exercising, I am good at this".

And finally,

3. Question whether you really know what it will take reach your goals. I don't mean for this to be offensive. In fact, I will openly admit that when I started my weight loss journey, I was morbidly obese and I had little understanding of what it would take to become the healthy person I wanted to be. I could not do it on my own. I went to a nutritionist to learn how I needed to eat to be a healthy person, and started reading books to learn about how I could use exercise to meet my weight and fitness goals.

Considering meeting with a nutritionist, going to Weight Watchers, or taking other steps that make sense to you, in order to learn how to go about getting healthy in a sustainable and safe fashion. Also consider health issues that you may have, and how they might impact your plans. I started my journey as a T2 diabetic and worked with an endocrinologist to get that under control with diet and medicine. For me, it was either stick to a low carb diet or learn to get really comfortable with insulin and needles.

THIS IS SOME GREAT ADVICE!!

laurajo521

Welcome. Signing up here and asking for support is a great first step. You can find a lot of support here and a lot of helpful folks.

I have a lot of weight to lose to and I want to throw a few ideas out there for you.
1. Think in terms of little goals, because when you are morbidly obese the number of pounds you need to lose can get scary. I only focus on 5% or 10% at a time. When I lose 10%, I will set my new goal. I'll know when I feel good and want to stop.

2. Definitely see a dietitian. They can offer a lot of great advice and help you look at food differently, plus they can set a calorie goal with you.

3. If any little part of the reason you are overweight has to do with psychological issues, you should set up an appointment with a therapist and work through that with him or her as well. So many people never get to the psychological issues surrounding why they are overweight, and they don't have success because of it. This was the best thing that I've ever done in my life. I had to learn to love myself and develop a healthy relationship with food before I could focus on the rest.

Don't act like you're on a diet and don't eat like you're dieting. You have to come up with a plan that will work for you the rest of your life if you want to keep the weight off.

We're here for you! I know you've got this!

Flyers1010

Oh - and try not to forget that it's a marathon, not a sprint. Every healthy change you make today will have a ripple effect a year from now and beyond. Try to look at the big picture when the changes feel like they are coming too slowly.

NessaReh85

Hi,

You are most definitely not alone. I am currently obese as well. I need to lose about 60lbs to get where I want to be. 80 lbs to get the where "WebMD" says I should be based on my height. Which I think is a load because they base that on weight, not on body structure as well. Anyway, I hear ya. Logging everything does help. Feel free to add me. I'll help support you on your journey to a smaller you.