Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of weight I need to lose!

Bethanyannmariah

Hi guys! So I joined mfp a couple of weeks ago & have since been on a pretty strict diet. I eat fresh spinach, a boiled egg and some toast most mornings or some fresh fruit with 0% yogurt and then I have a homemade vegetable soup for lunch and a homemade vegetable stew for dinner. If I snack it's on fruit, nuts and seeds and I feel a lot better for my new healthy eating.
I've needed to lose weight for ages, honestly- I don't even know my weight (buying scales tomorrow) but I'm a 22 on the bottom and 24 on top (big boobs which I hate) so know I need to drop down to at least a size 12 (uk size) to be happy in myself again.
Thing is, I'm getting married in November 2015 & I am genuinely so scared about going dress shopping, I know they won't stock my size and the thought of being a fat bride makes me want to call the whole thing off.
I desperately need to lose this weight and I'm trying desperately to stick to eating fresh, clean foods but I'm worried that being a)incredibly fat and b) having an under active thyroid it's not gonna come off.
I'm basically looking for advice to really shake this weight and start getting results & some motivation from people who have managed to lose a fair amount of weight in a year!
I'm getting a gym membership next month but until then I do long walks with my little girl in either the buggy or backpack, which being as big as I am, is a real workout for me!
My soups are just veggies & stock, I'm not sure on actual calorie content but I'd say 300 each, tops. Do you think I'm being unrealistic to lose this much weight in a year? If I lose 2lb a week, by nov 2015 I reckon I'll be happy to walk down the isle!
Sorry for massive rant, feeling emotional & stressed!

awesomedjmcvey

You are not being unrealistic. My low weeks are two pounds. I work out 6 days a week and only eat fruits and Veggies. Before I started here I was 405 pounds (roughly 31 stones, UK). In 8 months of eating right, excersizing and making sure I get a good amount of sleep, I am down to 324 (roughly 25 stones). Stay focused on the prize of looking sexy as hell for the wedding. Turn each time that you pass someplace to get take aways into a celebration of the new you.

If you know what you are eating you can be smarter about it. When someone else is preparing the meals for you, you lose sight of the prize.

Bethanyannmariah

Wow, sounds like you are doing a great job, congrats! You work out a lot, how long for roughly? Once I get to the gym I'm sure it will start to come off me,, but I must be so unfit now it will be tough!
Great to hear of someone managing to lose so much, I just thought id be fat forever to be honest! (Sad I know).
I make the soups and stew myself but I didn't count the amount of calories in the veg I used , but when I did I realised there weren't that much in there at all, as long as you ant get fat eating carrots, leeks, butternut squash and onions I should be okay!

engodwin

You can do it!!!

Set mini goals to break down the journey - maybe when you see how fast 10 lbs is coming off you will be more motivated...

trudywc2

I don't think its unrealistic. But try not to worry about your final goal, keep focused on smaller goals. I need to lose 100 lbs, when I hit that goal I will try for more, and at first it seems overwhelming. I now aim for 10 lb goals and it's much more manageable. Sometimes I wish it would come off faster but I just remind myself if I wasn't doing anything I wouldn't have lost as much as I did so far, and could have even been heavier.

It's always hard, but it does get easier. By the way I also have hypothyroidism and take medication for it. I started my journey June 2014 and am down 31 lbs so far.

You can do this. Feel free to friend me if you would like.
Trudy

mzco14

You can do it. Don't focus on the large number. Break your weight loss goal down in to small increments. Make your main goal to eat right, exercise, and enjoy life. Congrats on your wedding. Remember that man and little girl love you and want you alive. Have a blessed day.

Bethanyannmariah

Thanks everyone! I just needed someone to tell me I'm not crazy for trying to lose weight. For some reason I had it in my head that id always be big (even though before my hypothyroidism i was a size 10 & fit!) I just fell defeated when I look in the mirror but more than anything I just want to be happy again and be able to run around after my toddler with out feeling out of breath!
I've added you Trudy! Great to hear the hypothyroidism hadn't stopped you losing weight, this was a big concern of mine!

bootcamp85

You should see if there is a bootcamp in your area.
I go to bootcamp 5 days a week.

I use to do the gym, but its like your on the tread mill for like an hour before you burn alot of calories and it was just boring for me.
With bootcamp im in there for 30-45 mins and ive burned 400-600 calories easy.
Its just a suggestion, but I promise you, once you join, you will not regret it.
Its always hard the first day, but it only gets better from there.
Good luck...

becomingfitme

Don't look at the big number but just look at the day. That's the way this weight loss journey has to go - One day at a time....if you look at the WHOLE number you will lose sight of the present and just want to run to the future....the most important thing I have to say is ENJOY THE JOURNEY. You may feel like it's a struggle (and most days, yes it is) but enjoy the feeling of having a apple instead of a piece of cake, or walking 3 miles instead of sitting on the couch. Enjoy the feelings of endorphins and loving your body. You will get there - One day at a time !

Raaneve

First: There are no fat brides, only beautiful ones. And I'm sure you will be radiant and gorgeous no matter what size you are on that day!

Second: It sounds like you are on the right track. You're eating healthier, you're exercising, and you've given yourself a realistic time frame to achieve your goals in. Patience and self discipline *will* pay off, so never give up on yourself.

Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials, and I wish you a lifetime of joy with your beloved.

Cheers!

mgeralt

I know exactly how you feel.. I also have been trying to lose a large amount of weight.. All you can do is put one foot in front of the other and just "go".. Have rewards for yourself if you make a certain weight goals.. Keep telling yourself you are worth it even if you don't believe it at first. eventually you will start to believe it and the weight loss won't seem so "hard"...

jphuffm

Welcome Bethany!!

You've officially started your journey! You will look back and think about this time, this moment and shake your head with joy that you finally started and here you are. Embrace the journey!

It sounds like you're happy in your life, with a wonderful fiancée that you're going to embrace and embark on another journey together. That's very exciting!

The fiancée can be a great source of encouragement in this weight loss and healthier lifestyle journey. Prepping meals together, talking about struggles, ups and downs of your diets and getting excited together about the losses and accomplishments!

Another way is through reaching out to sites like this, and meeting people like us that can help and watch you grow into a fitter you!

Wedding is a great milestone. Keep in mind that your fiancée loves you now, as you are, regardless of your size. So this milestone should be about how you want to show yourself and family that you can change and better yourself. It's not about stones or sizes, it's about a change in our mentality, in the way we view the world. Those changes in our lifestyle manifest themselves in a transformation of our body, as well as our mind.

I'd recommend trying to educate yourself on how certain kinds of foods affect your body, such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, sodium, glycemic foods, water. Diets now are just different approaches to reach a different range of goals. There's also a special relationship between dieting and exercising, it's not just a cliché, it's not just a recommendation. It's a mandatory requirement to see amazing results. If you don't want amazing results, then don't exercise.

When you combine diet and exercise, it's a multiplicative affect. Such as, 1(diet) = 1, 1 (exercise) = 1, diet + exercise = 4, so it's not 1+1=2, it's 1+1=4. When you exercise, you push your body to become stronger, to process fat, burn surgars, seek energy, and do what it was designed to do, function.

So with that also comes, the correct diet for you, and the correct exercise for you. The diet can be 'easy' to figure out and you can design it in a way that can be easier to adhere to. The hard part is the exercise, since that will constantly change as you change. So many people struggle with this, and rightfully so, it's difficult. That's why there are professionals who do it for a living because the average person doesn't want to learn about their body, learn the movements, take the time to become proficient at it, because it's difficult and sometimes not intuitive.

Key to a successful exercise plan is to constantly push yourself, find a 12 or 16 week program that's designed for fat loss, that's a 'burner' that will ramp you up slowly and keep you there with the intensity. Make sure it's something you would like to do, and keeps you entertained. Keep the goals short and attainable, don't buy a scale. It's the mirror that you're watching.

Weight lifting is an incredible tool for turning fat into muscle, raising base metabolic rates (you'll burn more fat when you are just sitting), and giving you a sexy curvy look. Many women are turning to weight lifting and getting amazing results. I encourage you to find someone in your life who can show you how to safely lift weights, or hire a personal trainer for a short amount of time to educate you on how you can lift weights safely.

Lifting, combined with cardio will condition your body and get you stronger, and help your body burn off excess fat, as well as promoted additional function and increase health in all aspects of your body's process. Endorphines are released that make you happy, your mood changes, your cardio vascular system changes, your arteries and veins become more elastic, the chemicals in your brain change, your stomach shrinks, your bowels process food better, your kidneys function better, pancrease doesn't scream and flip out on you.

You will have an entire transformation, but you need dedication to stick to the meal plan that's appropriate for you and start your exercise plans that help you learn more about movement, and are risk free to get your body ready for more exercising and lifting to come.

I'd recommend sticking to a specific meal plan or diet framework. I'm a fan of Paleo and trying to stick to that as much as possible, no one is 100% Paleo all the time, that's just not reasonable, it takes too much effort, yet try to stick to it as much as possible and you will see amazing results. Whatever plan you chose, make sure it's clean eating, do not eat processed foods, shop in the grocery store 'around the isles', as in do not buy things from the isles, stick to the meat, fruit, and vegetable sections primarily. If you do venture into the isle, be very cognizant about what exactly is on the food label and if you truly cant live without it.

Exercise: do everything in a short program when starting out, have 3 or 4 week programs where you do something and then change it. You're going to gain a tremendous amount of conditioning and function when you begin, you need to change it up to continue pressing and pushing yourself. Once you've done that a few times, you can start on the 12 week plans. Remember to combine weight lifting and cardio into your workout, 1.5hrs a workout, 3-4 times a week is all you need. If you wanted to go more hardcore and see faster results, then you can do it more often with more intensity, but you need to take it slow at first. It's important to ramp up your exercising, you need to get the joints, soft tissue, muscles in general ready for exercise, no athlete is born, we are all made. It takes time to build up to it and you do not want to injure yourself.

Good luck

JennyJiggle

Completely agree with what people are saying about mini-goals. For some of us the road to fit is a long one, that's why it's especially important to enjoy small victories along the way. If you stay on track and make good choices there's plenty to celebrate between starting and reaching your final goal.

Good luck!

999tigger

What you need is a plan and to educate yourself more about some of the ideas on MFP.
Creating a calorie deficit.
How much you cna expect to lose if you keep that deficit up over time.
That you need to find a sustainable way to lose the weight that suits you as MFP is as much about changing your lifestyle in how much and what you eat.

The nice thing is its within your control to lose the weight if you basically consume less than you burn. Get lots of good friends and listen to what they say and weigh up whether it matches to what everyone else is saying. Read the stickies.

The most you might expect to lose is about 2lb a week, except some people rpeort losing more than that as water weight in the early days or if they have significant amounts to lose. Once you know your weight then you have the start point. You then need to get into the correct mindset about why you are doing things and the sacrifices you will make.

Just reading your post it makes me worried that you seem to be on a severe diet. Do you know how much you are eating a day? One of the essential tools for MFP is to decude in a daily calorie intake that you can stick with. It has to be sustainable. Too low can be dangerous, but also unsustainable, make you miserable and make you give up or binge.
The MFP diet says you cna eat what you like just as long as you have the deficit. Nutritionally its nice if you eat healtier as there are other benefits m but its not required for weight loss.

Get some friends, let them help you figure out or assess your plan and listen to your concerns. Set small achieveable targets to give you confidence and also log your food. The stickies and your friends will help. See how far you get in a month and keep on with your plan, revising as needed.

Good luck and believe in yourself that you are capable of reaching goal and there are no reasons why you should not as long as your plan is realistic and you stick to it.

ps the gym is more for health and fitness, 80%+ of losing weight is in the diet. That said there are health benefits and it can aid your diet by birning a modest amount of calories, which you cna then eat some of those back. Still worth doing.

Daisyalahmad

I often feel overwhelmed by the amount of weight I have to lose. I struggle so much with food addiction and it can be so hard to stay on track. I have set a goal to lose 1 pound a week. That is what's manageable for me. Just keep trying. Don't ever give up.

andielyn

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!! How exciting! I agree with everyone that says make small goals. Here is a good guideline on a safe weight loss:

Pounds per week
75+ lbs to lose 2 lb range
Between 40 - 75 lbs to lose 1.5 lb range
Between 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lb range
Between 15-25 lbs to lose 1 -.50 lb range
Less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs range

If you can afford it I highly recommend getting a Fitbit or other activity tracker. It will give you a good idea of the calories you are burning on a daily basis. That and combined with accurate and consistent logging of what you eat will give a good frame of reference for what your calorie goal is every day. I don't know how many calories you are consuming but it didn't sound like a whole lot (but very healthy choices!) and you don't want to make the mistake of eating too little, especially if you ramp up your exercise.

Good luck! You can do this!

Deena_Bean

First I have to say: Thank you for not coming here and telling everyone you want to lose 100 pounds by November 2014.

That said, you could certainly lose a substantial amount of weight in a year. You have to be diligent, you have to know as close to exact on how many calories you're eating (buy a scale, weigh and measure your foods). Be realistic and be patient...it takes time and small successes are reason for celebration. Every 10 pounds lost could equal a prize - like a manicure or a new blouse. Avoid food rewards, they're counterproductive. You can handle it - even with thyroid issues. I don't have a thyroid problem, but I do have PCOS and that statistically complicates losing weight and keeping it off. Most people have some kind of thorn in their side that they have to live with, you just have to find the best way to work with it. Good luck :flowerforyou:

Jerrypeoples

i wont repeat what others have said (granted i read only briefly through) but there might be some repeat

i dont think you have to lose weight to be happy with yourself. its a vicious circle. I need to lose weight and am depressed because i need to lose weight so i will eat comfort food which causes me to need to lose weight then i am depressed because i need to lose weight so i...

first understand there isnt much wrong with you. your weight is only a reflection of the gravity of yourself in relation to the earth. it doesnt change you at your base personality. After i dropped about 60lbs i had a person at the gym who didnt see me for a long time and said i must have hated looking at myself in the mirror and must be so much happier now. i completely stood there dumbfounded and didnt say anything back.

As soon as you realize you control your weight and not your weight controls you the better off you are going to be. dont look at it as if your dieting. diet implies there will be an end and if you are in this for the long haul then there shouldnt be an ending.

dont get upset if one day the scale doesnt move in a positive direction or even in a negative direction your body adapts. it doesnt mean your a failure and need to give up. just trust in the process. once you lose so much then you need to change things up cause your body will need something else to push it in the right direction

find a way to deal with exercising (weights or cardio) that makes it as much fun for you as possible so it doesnt seem so much like work. if youre running/walking outside try to either add a little more distance each week or shave off some time each week.

being fat for the better part of my teens until 3 years ago i understand what youre going through so keep your chin up and realize youre not alone in trying to do this

C5North

You can do it.

I am way, way fat and I have about 145lbs yet to lose (down 30 atm). I don't focus on the 145 number much. I'm just looking at the next 5 or 10. A very attainable goal. 145 seems so far away. 5-10 not so much. one pound at a time and you'll be amazed how much you've lost 3 months down the road. The "high" becomes seeing how much you've lost. Like I say I'm down 30 and I am jacked to be down another 30 then another 30. That is making me feel better mentally and, of course, physically than any pizza or cheeseburger did. I know that 6 months from now when I am down another 40-50 pounds how great that is going to feel. That keeps me on the path.

Eat right, exercise and deny your cravings if you have any. Your mind is stronger than your stomach. I'm at the point where I'm not really experiencing much for cravings anymore. Use MFP to chart your food. This, I think, is am absolute must.

Be accountable and honest to yourself. Something I have not been doing over the last 10 years and it allowed to become what I am today. Fat. The truth. Well, that time is over and there is no reason you can't do it too.

Bethanyannmariah

Thank you again everyone who's replied, lots to take on board.
I've checked out my average calorie intake according to mfp and it's below 1000 (just) which I know is way too little, I'm going to start adding some lean protein to my dinner and snack on healthy foods more regularly.
On the weekends I do a 5 mile walk and allow myself to eat something I wouldn't usually, last weekend it was enchiladas. This makes eating nothing but soups for lunch and dinner a bit more manageable and means I eat back the calories I've burned.
Thank you for all your responses, it's really encouraging and if feel less alone in this!
I admit I've gone a bit crazy with the calorie counting, often by the end of he day I've eaten just short of 1000 (there are days I eat upto 1300 though) but I find saving some of the calories for the evening helpful, I tend to up my calories by snacking on cup of soups and healthy low calorie deserts so I feel less deprived! For some reason I'm hungry as soon as I have nothing to do, bad habits!

jessiruthica

You can definitely do it! I've been on for about 8 weeks, I've lost 12 pounds, and I'm healthier than I've ever been. My eating habits have changed drastically from not paying attention at all to logging everything I eat (although I'm not quite as strict as some on MFP are). I exercise 6 days a week switching between a Couch-to-5-K program and what I loosely call calisthenics, i.e., moving, stretching, working against my own body weight. And then there's the trainer once a week who I am convinced is trying to kill me

All this to say, it's totally possible to get healthy. You have to WANT to do it. It takes commitment and consistency. There will be difficult days, "bad" days (where you eat too much or too many unhealthy options), and then there will be great days where your exercise will feel fantastic, your food is all tasty and healthy and you have a good night's sleep. Just keep going.

gogozinn

With dedication, there is no goal too small or too big. I pray and hope you will be a beautiful bride, happy and confident, and secure in whatever size dress you end up wearing. I know for myself, having started and stopped, made excuses and had serious motivation, it's a rocky road, but sounds like you are on a good leg now, so keep it up. The thing is we know what works, and we know how to make it work, so JUST DO YOU! make it work, make it happen, cap'n! You got this if you want it, and by perusing this site you will gain much of the support and advise you need. It's gotta be in your heart, so plant it there and continue to make it grow!

lkilton

So far I have lost 150 lbs and have about 25 pounds to go. Set weekly/monthly goals and not just the big goal. I felt the same way you did when I started but inch by inch its a cinch and yard by yard its hard. Set your mind to it and you will accomplish it. Good Luck!! Feel free to add me as a friend if you want. Have an amazing day!!

jrline

Just stay positive and set mini goals for the journey to your major goal. Work towards your goal daily. Log your food and workouts consistently. Good Luck on your Journey

drewmmm

You can do it!! And the good thing is-you started on time! With a full year ahead of you,anything is possible! Set small goals as people suggested and go for it! Best of luck!

iggyboo93

Welcome to MFP and congrats on your upcoming nuptials! :flowerforyou: If you constantly think about the entire amount of weight you want to lose, it can be overwhelming. Agree with others - break it up into small increments. Every positive food choice and every minute of exercise is a victory. These things add up over time. I personally have over 100 lbs to lose in all but I'm only thinking about the next 10 pounds.

Reward yourself when you reach a milestone - just don't make it a food reward. Personally, I give myself a hair coloring or style with every 10 pound loss. It makes me feel pretty. Tracking your successes here works great - be sure to measure yourself and track those numbers in addition to the weight. You will be pleasantly surprised at your improvement over time.

andielyn

Thank you again everyone who's replied, lots to take on board.
I've checked out my average calorie intake according to mfp and it's below 1000 (just) which I know is way too little, I'm going to start adding some lean protein to my dinner and snack on healthy foods more regularly.
On the weekends I do a 5 mile walk and allow myself to eat something I wouldn't usually, last weekend it was enchiladas. This makes eating nothing but soups for lunch and dinner a bit more manageable and means I eat back the calories I've burned.
Thank you for all your responses, it's really encouraging and if feel less alone in this!
I admit I've gone a bit crazy with the calorie counting, often by the end of he day I've eaten just short of 1000 (there are days I eat upto 1300 though) but I find saving some of the calories for the evening helpful, I tend to up my calories by snacking on cup of soups and healthy low calorie deserts so I feel less deprived! For some reason I'm hungry as soon as I have nothing to do, bad habits!

That seems awfully low. You won't be doing yourself any favors if you cut your calories too much and try to lose weight too fast.