Hello Everyone

dropthebass123

Hi everyone, it's a pleasure to meet you all. I have browsed these forums on and off for a while now. I guess I finally decided to join to look at the success stories and get and receive some moral support in the process

I have been overweight for most of my life. Up until I left high school I was overweight but I needed to lose 15-20kg as opposed to how much I need to lose now. I have always been a very tall guy, so my weight was perhaps not as noticeable. That's definitely not the case now. I have lost a lot of weight, only to gain it back. In fact, right now I am sitting at my heaviest weight ever at about 162kg (I guess around 350 pounds?). This was after weighing in at 158kg earlier in the year, and managing to drop down to 150kg. So, I'm 4kg heavier than I was prior to my last weight loss effort.

Given my weight and height I have around 60kg to lose. I remember 3 years ago when it was 140kg. I just seem to keep on getting heavier. I get so angry and frustrated at my self but nothing seems to change. I just get worse and worse. I just don't know how to force myself to lose the weight. Even the most minor changes to my diet or lifestyle fail. I basically feel really defeated right now in case you couldn't tell

Anyways, I decided starting tomorrow I am going to attempt once again to cut down on soda as an initial baby step. Let's see how this goes and I look forward to getting to know you all!

SaintGiff

No. No baby steps. You're a 27 year old man. You need to fix this before it gets out of hand. The baby steps is the weakest part of you still driving the bus. NO HALF MEASURES.

dropthebass123

Hi, thank you for taking the time to give me some input and motivation.

I would very much like to do the bigger steps, but I generally fail those immediately. I find at least with the small changes I last a few weeks or months before I begin to falter. I guess you could say that my self control muscles have atrophied and I just can't throw the heaviest weights on at the gym, I need to start at the bottom and go from there.

My main problem is that I generally start losing weight which is a big motivation obviously, which makes me want to make more and more changes and next thing you know I can't handle all the change and I lose all the progress I've made. I need to make small changes and stick to them, and add new ones very slowly - at least this much i have learned about myself in my many attempts to lose weight.

LeonCX

Welcome to MFP and wishing you great success here!

SugarBabyGirl

You sound like you plan to fail. Not everyone can go all in all at once like SaintGiff suggests, but, YOU'VE got to want it. If you mess up one time, oh well. Don't wait until 'tomorrow' to start again; tomorrow never comes. Refocus immediately and keep moving forward.

I always say failure is not an option, and the only way you can possibly fail is to give up.

Good luck!

FrancesGallagher

Try not to set yourself up to fail, this time you are going to be successful. This is a life time change so starting out with small changes may be the way to get started. Getting rid of the soda is a good idea, in more ways than one as we learn more about why drinking soda is not good for your health. If the soda is sweetened with sugar it is bad because of the added calories but the diet sodas cut calories but not the part of the soda, whether sugar sweetened or diet, that can affect bones and teeth negatively. Water is the right choice and drinking a couple of cups of coffee has been getting some good news as being good for your health. Good luck on your weight journey.

dropthebass123

Thank you for the welcome everybody, much appreciated Yes, I know that I don't sound pumped but it's very hard to be after failing so many times so I am beginning this weight loss journey with a bit more reservedness Today is the day that I start watching my soda intake, let's see how this goes

Thanks again!

SaintGiff

Hi, thank you for taking the time to give me some input and motivation.

I would very much like to do the bigger steps, but I generally fail those immediately. I find at least with the small changes I last a few weeks or months before I begin to falter. I guess you could say that my self control muscles have atrophied and I just can't throw the heaviest weights on at the gym, I need to start at the bottom and go from there.

My main problem is that I generally start losing weight which is a big motivation obviously, which makes me want to make more and more changes and next thing you know I can't handle all the change and I lose all the progress I've made. I need to make small changes and stick to them, and add new ones very slowly - at least this much i have learned about myself in my many attempts to lose weight.

Of course you fail those immediately. You never grow without failure.

mamadon

I failed for twenty years. I learned how you dont fail, so here is the secret. You dont give up .Lets say you have a day a week from now where you give in and have some soda. The next day, you just keep on going with your plan. Now lets say you have a day where you go wayyyy over your calorie limit. Guess what? You don't give up. The next day, you continue on as though nothing ever happened, no biggie. Then a few weeks go by, and you havent lost anything. Your frustrated and discouraged and you want to just quit. You don't give up.
My point is, we are all only human and mistakes happen. A defeatist attitude is what kills our plans every time. I know you can do this, you just have to know it also.

sarieth05

Welcome! I wish you loads of success. As a side note, in order for me to quit drinking soda (and I went through 20 packs once or twice a week), I had to quit cold turkey. One day, I was just drinking a soda and realized that it had to stop. It wasn't going to stop any other way in my case because I just drank too much and always had an excuse for why I was drinking them - "They get rid of my thirst! It's the only thing that works!". Since that day where I decided I needed to stop the excuses, I haven't had a drop of soda in almost a year.

Something that has helped me is to set mini-goals. I think of every day as a beginning. I don't think "Oh crap, I'll do better on Monday". I think of every day as my day of change. What have I done that I'm proud of TODAY? Did I end today on a good note or was it not so great? Make choices where you can feel like you had a great day overall. I try not to think about how much weight I should lose, and just try to focus on being healthier and making better choices right now.

renevate

I failed for twenty years. I learned how you dont fail, so here is the secret. You dont give up .Lets say you have a day a week from now where you give in and have some soda. The next day, you just keep on going with your plan. Now lets say you have a day where you go wayyyy over your calorie limit. Guess what? You don't give up. The next day, you continue on as though nothing ever happened, no biggie. Then a few weeks go by, and you havent lost anything. Your frustrated and discouraged and you want to just quit. You don't give up.
My point is, we are all only human and mistakes happen. A defeatist attitude is what kills our plans every time. I know you can do this, you just have to know it also.

I agree completely.

I would like to add though: It is a good idea to focus on the small things - it gives you something to focus on. But more than one baby step is achievable at a time. That way if you mess up on one of the baby steps, you have the others you are still achieving. For example - log everything you eat and drink (regardless of how much you are over your daily recommended intake) - that will give you an idea of what to cut out next. I have discovered that my bread is my major source of sodium - tipping me over the RDI almost every time. Cut out soda and drink more water. Exercise 10 min a day. Baby steps, but lots of them!

Good luck! I also came on here demotivated and depressed. Just logging my food (even the icecream and gingerbeer), logging my exercise and focusing on drinking more water has motivated me to keep it up

BlackStarlight

Hi Welcome to MFP!!
You can do this!! You will be awesome and it will happen!
The secret of doing this is learning to live like a healthier person and how not to fail.
We're human, sometimes we don't always have the complete successful day we would like, but then we continue on. Think of the thing that makes you rock today!
Did you walk to work when you would normally drive?
Did you climb the stairs when you would normally take the lift/or elevator?
Its all good steps towards your change.
And it will happen.
Good luck.
Feel free to add me as a friend I'm always around.
Good luck! xx