Need to lose 100+ lbs any tips or advice?

BrandiL83

I need to lose 100+ pounds. I did good for the first few weeks and now it seems like I am gaining instead of losing. Could it be muscle that I am gaining? I try to work out at least 5 days a week. Any tips or advice? Any would be appreciated

saraann4

I've lost 24lbs so far. Last week, I gained 2lbs. It can't be fat because I haven't changed anything besides water intake. It has to be water weight. So that could be your case or you could be gaining muscle as well.

BrandiL83

I have been trying to increase my water intake. I have been doing half my body weight in ounces. Which that is A LOT of water lol.

carld256

Tracking everything you eat accurately makes a big difference. It's easy just to eyeball things and eat a lot more calories than you expect. I thought I was eating 500 calories for lunch one day, then I looked up the serving sizes of everything, turned out I was eating 1,000.

I don't know how I ever managed to lose any weight doing that, but I'm down 78 pounds at the moment, with another 30 or 40 to go.

BrandiL83

I was going to start measuring everything out with measuring cups. except for meat, im not sure how to do that without a food scale. might have to look into getting one.

thanks for the advice

Lozze

Realize that there are weeks your scale will say a higher number. That it might happen for a few weeks at a time. It sucks. But unless you are way overrating or measuring incorrectly it's not likely to be fat. It could be muscles retaining water, it could be your time of the month (I can put up to 2kg on if weighing in a couple of days before) you could have had too much sodium.

My simple rules are log everything, drink enough water and never give up. I've had days where ive wanted to just pig out. In nearly a year of doing this I think I've had two days where it's told me I would gain weight based on the day I had.

BrandiL83

any advice on what to eat? what not to eat? i feel like i am slipping back into my old habits and i do not want to be there. i am having a really tough time with food.

ShrinkinMel

For meat I also don't have a food scale so I take a piece the size of my palm without the fingers(or the size of a deck of cards) that is about 3-4 oz which should be a serving. Be careful its not too thick a piece(such as some chicken breasts can be) if so reduce to half your palm or so. Some people have more for protein reasons but I usually stick to that unless I know protein was low that morning and afternoon.

Weight Watchers sells these awesome food scoops in 1/2 cup and 1 cup sizes I LOVED those for portioning.

BrandiL83

Thanks for the advice. the meat always gets me!

For meat I also don't have a food scale so I take a piece the size of my palm without the fingers(or the size of a deck of cards) that is about 3-4 oz which should be a serving. Be careful its not too thick a piece(such as some chicken breasts can be) if so reduce to half your palm or so. Some people have more for protein reasons but I usually stick to that unless I know protein was low that morning and afternoon.

Weight Watchers sells these awesome food scoops in 1/2 cup and 1 cup sizes I LOVED those for portioning.

Mandanbil

To have gained 1lb in FAT you would have had to have eaten 3500 calories on top of your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), so 2lbs of FAT would be 7000 as well as your TDEE, if not it is water etc. Please search for posts In Place of a Road Map and How to Lose Weight Correctly, they both hold a good amount of information and join the Eat More to Weigh Less Group. I too have about this much to lose and I cannot starve it off I wouldn't last 5 minutes. If you want to friend me you are most welcome, we are all in this together and are having the same issues. Good luck to you and don't get discouraged, Mandy

blandwriter

My struggle is less about food than my 'tude. The other day I was driving to work thinking, Wow, I've lost 43 pounds and when I get to a point when I've lost 100 pounds, I'll still be significantly overweight. Yay me." That's stinkin' thinkin'.

So, you have to get your head right and, at least for me, it is a daily fight to keep my head right. Also, I've had to accept certain facts that involve math and physiology, meaning it's going to that a seriously long time for me to lose the weight I need to lose. I mean a reallllllly long time. So, I have to look past small bumps in the road-- a bad choice here, a gain on the scale there, and focus on the positive changes I've made.

Also, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of planning. Planning meals. Planning ahead, way ahead. At first I resented it. Now, it's just part of my reality.

Finally, get a digital scale. They sell them at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, just consider it an investment in a tool for your success. It's a fact that people routinely underestimate how much they eat (and overestimate how much they exercise). I also resented weighing and measuring everything, now, I just do it. It's part of my reality.

laceybrobie

Seriously!!! Take it one day at a time. NO JOKE. this weight did not get put on over night. its not going to come off over night.

I have lost 18 pounds so far.. Have not been the best at it but I am still a work in progress. Just believe in yourself. NEVER tell your self you cant do it. I am struggling with that right now..

Look at peoples Diaries and see how they are doing it. Thats been the best for me. I do not always eat well especially on the weekends we are so busy.

Remember to drink your water.. I feel so much better after I have had my water.

Start small on the workouts til you are more comfortable. I ride my mountain bike as much as possible and I LOVE IT. Starting to ride to work..

NCTravellingGirl

I started out with literally 137 lbs to lose just to get to the high end of the recommended weight for my height. I'm now down 72 lbs so I'm past the half way point, but it's taken me 1.5 years to get this far. I didn't want to be hungry all the time, nor did I want to give up my favorite foods. I only exercise 3-4 days a week, 1 hour only because in my past I let it consume me, exercising 2 hours at a time every day of the week. I lost weight quickly, but it wasn't sustainable nor liveable.

I share all that because slow and steady wins the race. It is a life time of change you're trying to do so it's OK if it takes a while. I eat heavily on protein and eat a lot of vegetables normally. I do work to get my water in daily as well. I cut out all soda and only drink water or unsweetened tea (with stevia). I still have a cupcake at least once a week :bigsmile: So enjoy the ride... you need to build habits for a lifetime!

joolzsd

The food scale was key for me. Seeing a black & white number makes it a lot harder to fudge portions. I still use mine every day.

threnners

Stop getting on the scales. I have been stuck at/around the same point for three weeks now, but I started measuring my arms, thighs, calves, hips, and waist from the beginning, and I've collectively lost 10.8 inches, so SOMETHING is happening even if the scale says it isn't.

etfan

great advice!

missxjuicy

I'd say log in everything you eat. It's easier when you eat the same foods since it saves it. Stay under calorie goal. If youre not losing you may have to increase your calories. I started with 1200, stopped losing, increased it to 1300 & lost 5 lbs. Stick to mainly water.. keeps you full longer. I use crystal light. I eat mainly home prepared meals. Some of my meals are: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, turkey deli meat, fruits, yogurt, nuts, chicken, tuna, (or any kinda meat in a small portion), special k, 1% milk or lower, veggies, wraps, eggs, cheese, salads, sweet potatoes, brown or parboiled rice & anything else on days I feel like just having pizza/pasta/hot dogs/pancakes.. I just log it in & work it into my calories. I use a measuring cup to measure stuff or count by tablespoons. I'm looking to buy some big measuring spoons to make this easier. A full fist about a cup and the palm of your hand is 3 ounces of meat. Measuring is very important.

barbara4599

First of all, if you have $20 to spare, you can pick up a food scale and it is so worth it for learning portions. I've been weighing everything and it has really helped. Also, consider making your diary public. I find I make better choices (usually) when I know my friends are going to look at it. As for what to eat - feel free to browse my diary, and other peoples, for ideas.

Some of my regular food - greek yogurt and granola (only 1 oz!), kashi cereal and almond milk (only 40 cal a cup and twice the calcium!), veggie omelets (1 whole egg, 1 white), grilled chicken, no skin, steamed broccoli w/spray butter. And of course the stereotypical health food - salad! I made a list of my favorite ingredients (romaine, carrots, red pepper, chick peas, shredded cheese, chopped chicken, etc.) and the calories and put it on my fridge so I can throw together something quick based on wha I have chopped and ready.

Good luck! You are setting a great example for your kids :-)

irisheyez718

Definitely get a food scale, its one of the best tools you can have! You can get a digital one from Walmart probably for less than 20 bucks. If your muscles are sore, they could be retaining water, which can show a gain, plus certain times of the month we woman just usually retain water. Hang in there! :-)

katbragg

Walmart had a food scale for $4.97. It's not fancy but it works

veggiesaurus15

Watch your sodium levels, eat as much fruit and vegetables as you want, be careful with oils because they are very high in calories for very little food (120 calories per tablespoon). Research calorie density and eat as much food as you want with a low calorie density! Good luck!!

alli_baba

First of all, if you have $20 to spare, you can pick up a food scale and it is so worth it for learning portions.

This. Measuring cups are not helpful (except for liquids).

RadioactivePirate

Definitely buy the food scale. I was shocked to realize that even using measuring cups there's still quite a bit of room for error, especially with foods that can squish a bit or if everything isn't perfectly level every time. Also, a food scale means less washing of measuring cups, which is always a pain.

My very best advice though is this - 95% of people who lose weight gain it back. I'm not saying this to discourage you, but you have to face reality. Why do all these people who manage to successfully lose weight gain it back? Because they can't maintain what they started. So the MOST IMPORTANT THING is not to start anything you can't maintain. For me, this meant keeping my calorie goals high enough that I didn't feel hungry or deprived, even though that meant slow weight loss. It also meant starting just with logging, then gradually adding exercise. It means no crash diets, no fasts, no insane exercise programs, no rushing things. I know that if I'm going to be able to maintain my weight I have to be able to maintain all of this indefinitely.

It's frustrating going slow like that. Sometimes REALLY frustrating. I'm about a year in (with 10 months on here) and halfway to a hundred now, and it feels like I have SO FAR to go still, but I'm also looking back thinking hey I got this far I can get the rest of the way. You just have to keep plugging along even when you don't feel like it. In the beginning I rewarded myself for "days logged" instead of pounds, and I counted those victories to keep myself going. Now I'm starting to see some success I'm feeling more motivated about it and less often frustrated (because I look back on all those times before I felt like it wasn't working and I know now it was). You just gotta get there. Good luck!

suzieqcookie

as someone who has lost and regained over 100lbs twice, i can tell you it's a marathon, not a sprint. There will be good days and bad days and stressing yourself out over losing weight is a great way to either not lose it or gain it all back. This time around i am going into it having learned from my past success and failures and since i'm not stressing over it, it's going much smoother. Very best of luck!

mcarter99

Lots of good advice here!

I use a kitchen scale that was under $15 shipped from Amazon. It's a bit like this one-

http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Kitchen-Capacity-Electronic-Cosmos/dp/B007HTHPZ0/ref=sr_1_87?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1340573778&sr=1-87&keywords=kitchen+scale

I love having a kitchen scale. But if you have 100 lbs to lose your greatest tools are going to be patience and knowledge. Don't believe everything you read here. Read at least one respected weight loss book, just for the basics. And make small goals. And realize you can do this.

ShrinkingShawna

I have 125.5 lbs to go, so if you want to add me we can give each other support! Also, my food diary is open. I eat pretty clean and healthy, with an occasional treat (easy to spot). As far as the scale going up, based on what you have said, it probably is the food you're eating (especially if you aren't measuring portions). No worries though, it will go back down again.

jaygregz

I've been dieting for about 2 months now. I've lost a total of 30 lbs. I used to get on the scale every day and the numbers weren't always encouraging. I say put that scale away. If you are going to always use the scale then make sure that you keep an accurate log of your weight from day to day (include weight gained). You'd be surprised how many times I've gained 2 lbs over night just to lose 3 lbs over the next couple of days. Find food that you like. That's probably been the most important thing for me to consider in my weight loss. It's easy to go out and find cook books that have 300 and 400 calorie meals. If your one of those people with enough time and money to prepare these meals they are amazing. The problem for me with these cook books is that the cost for preparation of these meals + the time invested in making the meals doesn't work for me. So I have really searched hard to find meals that can be prepared quickly, low priced, and low in calories. I have now found the sweet spot that includes enough variety for me and I think that has really helped my dieting. Another thing that is just important as dieting is exercising. Find something you enjoy doing and stick with it. Cardio is great for burning fat and we all know that. The thing that people don't emphasize enough though is where you do that cardio. I started running around my neighborhood when I first started dieting and I absolutely dreaded it. I always had dogs barking at me and felt like everyone was peeping out their windows to catch a look at the fat guy. I have now started running at a nice secluded park about 10 minutes from my house that has some really relaxing trails. I can run out there without having to worry about who is watching or anything of that nature.

I noticed that you asked about what people eat.. I'll give you a run down of what I eat. I would like to note that sodium content on my diet is particularly a bit high. I do however drink lots of water, am under the supervision of a family doctor, and get blood work done once a month. I try to make sure I eat 5 meals a day to keep my metabolism going (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner).

BREAKFAST- I have found that my breakfast has the least amount of variation of all the meals I eat. That is because I love omelets. I eat a small egg white omelet/scramble with 1/4 cup of low fat cheese, fat free ham & fat free turkey OR
If I am in a hurry I will eat 2 packages of instant oatmeal (typically Apples & Cinnamon Quaker)

SNACKS REGULAR- An Apple OR
Kellogg's FiberPLUS Antioxidants Chewy Bars (They are lower in Calories than the FiberOne Chewy Bars) OR
A FiberOne 90 Calorie Brownie (I prefer the Chocolate Fudge vs the Peanut Butter one) OR
a Weight Watchers Smart One Smart Delights Desert (My favorite is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sunday Icecream.. it has 140 Calories, 3g fat, and 2g of protein). There are other snacks that I eat but I try to make sure they are under 150 calories.

Lunch/Dinner- I eat probably 20 different meals lunch and dinner. I will not include them all but I will list a few of my favorite.

Petite Sirloin and Sweet Potato:
My favorite meal is the 4 oz petite sirloin and a small sweet potato. The sirloin can be bought at pretty much any grocery. I like to buy the individually wrapped sweet potato's that come in saran wrap and can be microwaved. I do marinade my steak usually for 2 hours in a low calorie marinade and then just throw it on the grill.

Tuna Salad:
I use one can of Starkist (my favorite brand of tuna) 5 oz chunk light tuna in water.. drain the water (don't over drain though you still want it to be moist), throw in 1 tablespoon of sweet relish, and throw in some diced jalapenos. I do not add mayonnaise because it is full of fat and calories. I found that it tastes almost identical with or without mayonnaise. I make two sandwiches with this and eat them both. The bread that I have found that I like the most is Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread. It's only 50 calories per slice. I have tried breads that are lower in calories but this bread actually tastes great.

Ham & Turkey Sandwich:

Deli Sliced Fat Free Ham & Fat Free turkey on Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread.. no cheese. Topped with Lettuce, Jalapenos, Cut Dill Pickles, and Banana Peppers. I will only eat one sandwich and it is very fulfilling.

I still eat a lot of things I used to like meatloafs, burgers, and spaghetti.
For all of these I use 90/10 Angus Ground Beef now. I found that if I use regular ground beef instead of angus that the meal turns out very dry. On my meatloaf I also use little to no ketchup. For my burgers I never use cheese anymore. For spaghetti I use whole grain noodles. Also portion control is very important. Make sure you aren't having too large of a portion or you just shooting yourself in the foot.

I also have a bunch of different frozen dinners that I throw into the mix for variety. My favorite frozen meals are the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers. They taste great. I also do lean cuisines, and pretty much any other low calorie frozen food that is on sale and I think I might enjoy.

Drinks- I Only Drink Water. Some juices are okay though. I have tried a few different juices and V8s that I enjoy. Also I found that the new Dr Pepper 10 tastes pretty good for only having 10 calories. Make sure that if you are drinking something besides water that you are only drinking 8 Ounces. People will say "oh this juice only has 90 calories"... well yeah that's true for an 8 oz glass but most people drink out of 24 ounce glasses. So that juice that you thought was only 90 calories was in fact 270 calories.

Probably the biggest contributing factor to my weight gain was all the soda and other crap I was drinking throughout the day. I really wouldn't consume that many calories in my food.. but I would drink soda all day long. Those calories add up and in a hurry.

WATER WATER WATER-
Drink It all day long. Learn to love it. It is amazing at curving appetite. I usually drink a bottle of water while I am preparing my food. Then drink another bottle with my meal. Each and every time I do this I end up being full and happy after my meal.

EATING OUT-
Don't Eat fast food.. it's a losing battle. That doesn't mean that you can't go out and eat with your friends though. I have ate out plenty of times since starting my diet. My main rule for myself though is "KNOW BEFORE YOU GO". It's important that you know where you are going and what you are going to eat before you go. Look up nutritional information on the food that particular restaurant serves before you go so that you can make an educated decision on what you are going to eat. Also plan your diet accordingly. If you know you are going to eat somewhere and have a higher calorie meal then try eating light earlier in the day or go exercise to burn some of those additional calories.

I am also on a multivitamin that my doctor prescribed me. Oh and make sure you are having regular bowel movements. I wasn't so I picked up a fiber supplement. Keeping it regular seems to have helped me substantially with my weight loss.

MrsBully4

I started with 128 lbs to lose and now have 88 lbs to lose ... it seemed like an impossible task at first but now it looks like it's just around the corner. STICK WITH IT!

McBully4

I was going to start measuring everything out with measuring cups. except for meat, im not sure how to do that without a food scale. might have to look into getting one.

thanks for the advice

I have the butcher cut everything into 4oz pieces for me before I leave the store.

BrandiL83

Wow. I didn't expect to have this many replies. Thank you for all of the advice, I truly appreciate it I will take everyone's advice, or try to anyway

Thank you again

missemily1124

You CAN do it! Push yourself, take care of your body, smile!