89kg [200lb] and only 17. Questions..

jnknzxD

Hello. I wasn't sure if this was the right place to post something, since I felt really intimidated to post anything at all.

I'm 17 and I currently live in Australia, and I also currently weigh 89kg, this is due to depression etc, and I lived through life by eating my feelings or if I got an anxious feeling I'd eat it off.

My current goal is to lose 40kg [88lb] in 2 months, as my 18th birthday is in April.

I've never really dieted or anything and I'm afraid I won't make it... So I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips etc on how I could possible edge closer to my goal.

My Current Routine;
- 30-45minute walk/jog/run [depends on what my dog wants etc] in the early morning which includes a 3 minute uphill slope.
- 50 carb diet [Which I am epically failing by 10-40 carbs depending on the day]
-1.4k calories a day, which I always stay under by 200-500 calories.
- 50 fat, I'm usually under by approx. 20.. At the moment I'm over by 8.
- 200 Protein, which is always under, I don't know what has protein.

Could you guys help? >_<;

ladyhawk00

First, congrats on making the decision to take control and begin a healthier lifestyle. That's a huge step.

Second, and I'm sure you won't like to hear this, but 88 lbs in 2 months is not a reasonable, or healthy, weight loss. It won't happen and you will only set yourself up for disappointment if you keep such unrealistic expectations.

However, PLEASE don't let that discourage you. In 2+ months you should be able to make quite a bit of progress. And if you do it in a healthy way, it is more likely that you will keep it off.

It sounds like, with your current regimen, you may be eating too few calories. You should try to stay within 100-200 of your cal goal each day, especially if you have your loss per week goal at 2 lbs. If you go under that, your weight loss is more likely to stall. Here are some threads that help explain metabolism and the best ways to keep it running at an optimum level.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat

I think if you read those, it will really help you understand the best ways to lose weight at a good rate, but in a healthy way.

I hope this helps, and please feel free to add me if you'd like. Good luck to you!

jnknzxD

Aww shucks, then I hope I do make some sort of progress.

As you can see, I'm such a newbie at this. I don't even know what's a reasonable or healthy weight loss.

Everything I find to eat all have some sort of Carbs in it though, so it's hard to raise my calories.

ladyhawk00

Don't worry, everyone is new at it at some point - or we wouldn't be here. And you won't learn everything overnight. It's a process that takes a while. But it is, of course, well worth it.

Well, keep in mind that carbs are not the devil! lol Your body does need some carbs. It's the source of those carbs that is important. For example, eating a donut is obviously not the same as eating an apple - yet both have carbs. You should try to make sure that you get good carbs - from whole grains, fruits, veggies - and avoid the carbs that come from processed sugar.

Same goes with fat. You don't need to worry if you go over on fat - IF it's coming from good sources like lean meat, eggs, fish, nuts, natural oils like olive oil, and avocados. Try to avoid processed food.

I think you'll find that if you focus on eating healthy foods - lots of lean protein, good carbs, and good fats, you can meet your cal goals and still stay under fat and carb goals. If you aren't sure what kinds of things to be eating, you might want to try looking at some people's diaries to get some ideas.

alexwalper

I definitely agree with everything ladyhawk00 had to say, but I just wanted to say welcome!
You will definitely make some serious progress; sounds like a great routine! Just remember not to take it so hard on yourself if you have a little off day.. You can always keep going the next day, and it's not worth one little mistake to throw off all the great stuff you've got going .
Since 88 pounds is a goal that will take a little time, I also definitely recommend rewarding yourself every time you hit a smaller goal, like 10 pounds or so. I know for me, I promised myself a manicure every 10 pounds, and it makes the whole process seem less daunting when it's broken down!
As always, we'll also all be here to help you along! Good luck .

jnknzxD

@Ladyhawk; Thanks a lot. You've helped heaps.

I think I started thinking that carbs were the devil due to the Atkins diet that I kept hearing about from people. I tried it for 2 days, and gosh I was starving, I was so lost due to rice being part of my normal eating habits [Being chinese and all].

I'm currently filling in my MFP and it's adding up... They're all passing the daily goal, it's upsetting to watch haha.

If you don't mind me asking though, where can I find the diaries? Sorry for asking.

@Alexwalper; I was going to freak today, I was arguing with my friend on going to KFC to eat or not, and she was persuading me to go... And it worked, so I had a twister and instead of having Soda, I had water instead. I guess I felt a bit better being able to resist the soft drinks, but ... A bit disappointing that I broke down.

[Random rant].

Gosh I'm nervous here.

jetlag

Hi hon, and welcome!

A good place to start is to ask yourself before you eating something: "how close is this to it's natural state?"

So, free range meat, organic fruit and vegetables, even dairy (organic milk and butter and cheese) are "natural" foods.

Bread and pasta are much less natural, though still not terrible foods, depending on your mindset.

Doughnuts, confectionary (except, say, good quality dark chocolate), crisps, etc, is a different matter altogether and should be a treat only. However, if you eat well enough long enough, you'll stop craving all that junk anyway.

Also, begin to familiarize yourself with ingredients lists. If you can't pronounce it, you probably don't want to be eating it. This includes artificial sweeteners! Diet foods, artificially low fat, or low sugar products are NOT natural foods.


Carbs are not the devil. Please don't fall into that trap. If you DO want to live a low carb life, then you absolutely MUST educate yourself about how your body fuels itself. Living Zero carb is very difficult and can actually be dangerous if you have any sort of allergic reaction to ketones (it's called ketotic hypoglycaemia and can be fatal if untreated).



Secondly, KFC is not going to kill you, eaten in moderation. At least you chose water, which is a great start! But "moderation" means just that. Fast food should be a monthly or fortnightly treat, not a daily or even a weekly occurence.

Pebble321

Hi J,

Good on you for taking the first step to getting healthier! I'm in Australia too and weigh 2 kg more than you - I'm older than 17 though!

Please have a look at the links posted in the second message - they have some really good information about how you can actually stay overeight if you don't eat enough. I KNOW this doesn't seem logical, but your body is smart, it knows if you are trying to starve it and responds by holding onto all the weight it can!

I also suggest picking a smaller target to start with. How about aiming to lose 5kg, then when you have lost that, go for the next 5? This way you are much more likely to succeed and not get pissed off with the whole process. And you'll have a great 18th anyway, it will be much better to get to April knowing that you are right on track with getting healthier and fitter, instead of being sad because you didn't reach the too-big goal you set yourself.

Go for it, you can do it, you'll find lots of good support here.

Ruby

Fat_girl_gonna_be_slim

Welcome

You have definately come to the right place the people are amazing very support and everything you need to know is here.

Dont be afraid to ask we are all aiming for the same thing

I wish you all the success in the world

jnknzxD

@jetlag; Thank you for the support and thank for the tip.
Although, that tip on pronunciation, wouldn't be good for a chemistry or health educated people huh.
Oh god that was a bad joke.

I do have a question on carbs though, how much is to much carbs? And how much is just enough carbs?

Monthly sounds hard but a fortnightly treat sounds pretty decent to me.
I think the other problem I have is that my dad is well known around here and we get taken out to restaurants a lot.

@Rubybelle;
When I said the goals to myself, it sounded logical. But then my godbrother said it wasn't logical and that I should go for 10kg per month, does that sound logical...?
I don't even know what's reasonable >_<;

tashasbaby

Welcome to MFP hun, I think the key thing to remember is 'baby steps' one small thing at a time for example eat the things you like but make it a smaller portion or change fizzy pop for water, then when that is the norm for you change something else! When people are trying to lose a lot of weight they sometimes find that they start to plateau so its nice to have a small thing to change to get the ball rolling again. If you add people as friends in your news feed it will say when they have completed their food diaries, and if they are open then you can click on them, feel free to add me hun! Good luck xx

I think 5kg a month sounds more realistic hun, plus if you lose than that it will boost your confidence no end

ladyhawk00

@Ladyhawk; Thanks a lot. You've helped heaps.

I think I started thinking that carbs were the devil due to the Atkins diet that I kept hearing about from people. I tried it for 2 days, and gosh I was starving, I was so lost due to rice being part of my normal eating habits [Being chinese and all].

I'm currently filling in my MFP and it's adding up... They're all passing the daily goal, it's upsetting to watch haha.

If you don't mind me asking though, where can I find the diaries? Sorry for asking.

Don't be nervous - a lot of us are fat, but I promise no one will eat you! :laugh: I've never seen one person here who would criticize you - you're trying to learn and that says a lot about what a smart, strong young woman you are.

Rice is not totally off the table, especially since it's a part of your cultural environment. What you can do is limit your portions of it, and if/when possible, use brown rice instead of white rice.

You can find diaries for others by going to a profile for someone (just click on their picture) and then clicking the view diary button under their age, etc. Some people have their diaries private or only open to friends, so you wouldn't be able to see those. But if you add them as a friend, then you can usually see it. Feel free to add me if you like - mine is open to friends - but for heaven's sake, remember I'm human and I don't have a perfect diary every day. :laugh: Add more friends and you'll have more people that you can get food ideas from (both what to do and what NOT to do lol).

Mamoonie

Hey,

welcome to this great site.

Just like you, I too want/wanted to lose 40kgs (down 9 kgs now).
I didn't want to change all too drastically, so I decided to set my preferences to lose 1lb per week. That actually means that it'll take 2 years to lose those 40 kgs... not 2 months.
You "could" lose it in 2 months, but it'll be very dangerous, not healthy at all. You would totally shock your body and end up gaining more weight than you lost. Another point is: your skin wouldn't be able to follow that fast weight loss, and you'd have skin sacks hanging around your body on belly, arms and legs <yuck>.
Better do it slowly, it'll be healthier, better for your moral constitution, you'll be able to stick with it, and your body has time to get used to changings, adjust and not react in a negative way.

Please accept the advice! :-)

Good luck

MM

jnknzxD

Lol I'm glad I came here before I decided making a youtube vlog about my progress.. I asked my ex about it and he said I'd probably get a lot of critisizms about it. Also thanks for the compliment, no one has called me smart before >_<;

And alright, I've added you. And I hope I could find more people to get more ideas on what to do and not to do.

jnknzxD

Gosh 2 years sounds like a long shot. That scares me a bit.

SandraMay1982

I am from South Australia. I have about 54kgs left to lose (I am aiming for 60kgs by my 30th birthday) Weightloss is so up and down. I have been going to the gym now for something like 13 weeks, watching what I eat and still only lose just under 1kg a week. I wanted to be down 20kgs by my 29th Birthday. but. doesn't look like I'll get there. 10kgs in a month is a bit far fetched from my body's perspective. ha.

Good luck, you are in the right place, you should easily be able to get rid of 10kgs in 2 months, especially if you're strict with yourself.

My downfall is my inability to stop added sugars. grrr. haha.

jnknzxD

This makes me want to go to the biggest loser, but I heard that doesn't work either. >_< Since they force you not to eat etc.

SandraMay1982

You'll be right we'll help you through. We're all here for the same reason, to lose the healthy way

Mamoonie

Hey,

yes, 2 years sounds terribly long for a weight loss... :-D

I only survive this by setting small mini-goals of 5 kgs each, like: be under 100 kg end of February (I'll be there next week!!), be under 95 kgs for May 1st... and then ONLY concentrate on that date and number.

I guess I would have given up very very soon if I only had that big number and that far away date to focus on :-/

There are no miracle cures :-(

Don't lose courage! Take a look at the success stories... they all took a lot of time to lose a lot of weight. :-)

MM

tashasbaby

If you have a xbox or nintendo wii there is a biggest loser game! I have the wii game it is really good x

jnknzxD

Yep. I'm trying to look for something that has protein..