Overwhelmed - I have so much weight to lose!

ellennow

A wise person once told me take it one step at time and set 10 chunks as my goal! You will do great! I posts have been a gold mine of tips and encouragement and that is what MFP is all about! Good luck and please feel free to friend me! Lets do this together!!

SandyAnnP

Hi Robin- sending you a special hug from "DownUnder" in Australia.
There have been some lovely posts on here, and you will get lots of support and as many friends as you wish.
One day at a time, that is the only way to go.
I joined a challenge here in Feb, 10 kilos in 10 weeks, I wasn't even thinking of a diet at the time but saw the ad in the paper, went and weighed myself for the first time in a loooong time and almost fainted. When it finished ( I just managed the 10 kilos off), I discovered MFP and I love the diary for my food and exercise.
I also started to walk, first around the block ( was exhausted when I got home), and gradually built up my walking time bit by bit, now I walk every day for at least an hour. I am older than you, ( in my 60"s) and yes I do have a few jiggly bits but after I get my hernia surgery done, I am going to do some kind of weight training which should help a bit. My BP is really good after being sky high for years, too.
Don't think of this as a diet ( that is a 4 letter word) it is NOT a diet - it is a lifestyle change for your life and in doing this, like me, you will be adding years to your life.
You have had some bad times, but a lot of folk have too, maybe not the same things but losses/ abuse./ serious health problems. You just have to stay your positive self, you sound like a lovely woman, and remember YOU ARE WORTH IT!!-NEVER GIVE UP.
As for Gary- he should make sure his brain is in gear before operating his mouth.
You can do this! Sandy.

inagaddadavegan

No, no, no, no!
Don't look at your challenge that way, or it does seem overwhelming. You are going to do just fine if you take this one step at a time. As for the weight...
You only have 1 pound to lose.
That is all. ONE POUND!
MFP is set up for us to lose 1 pound every week, so just stop stressing, and take this one pound at a time. In a year, that's 52 pounds. In 2 years, you have over 100.
ONE POUND!
No stress - no drama and no turning back. As for everything else, just keep punching, and all will be possible for YOU!
Good Luck :flowerforyou:

What lovely advice. I'm going to snag that wisdom to apply to myself :happy:
I started out 14 months ago needing to lose 80 lbs. I lost about half of it last year, but stopped during the winter, happy enough I didn't gain any back, but it's time for me to finish this... at times it still seems overwhelming.

Twisted_sista

i have a long way to go too but I'm sure we can do it!! Good luck to you!

Feel free to add me

Pimpmonkey

Don't look at the total amount you want to lose. Give yourself small goals on the way to the total amount and go for each goal as if that is the end goal! Hope that helps!

Twisted_sista

Don't look at the total amount you want to lose. Give yourself small goals on the way to the total amount and go for each goal as if that is the end goal! Hope that helps!

.
That's a great idea! That is what I am trying to do!

kdeaux1959

Just goes to show how powerful words can be. Well meaning or not... When we speak things into the lives of others, it can have a profound effect on others. I tell my students (band director) -- You cannot fix yesterday.. You can only fix tomorrow by changing today. You have made some good choices recently and I encourage you to keep up with this lifestyle change... You are sort of in the same boat as I was at the beginning of the year... 344 with a bmi well above 40... Those numbers do not make our golden years a positive experience... So at 52, I started once again to make changes... I weighed 263 this morning and feel much better. I agree, a lifestyle change is key.. but what does this mean, Ms. Robin? It means making changes that you can maintain when you get to the point you aspire to be at.. Essentially eating now like you plan to eat the rest of your life..> This is what makes the difference between a lifestyle change and a "diet"... A diet will always change when you get where you want to be... a lifestyle change is just that... A new way of life. At 57 y-o, I encourage the following...

1. Focus on a quality weight loss over a quantity weight loss. Make sure you are losing at a rate that is consistent with a loss of FAT rather than LEAN MASS.. I buried two friends (one 60 the other 65) who lost weight too fast... They lost muscle mass and had a heart attack... I cannot say for sure that that was the cause... but I will say that it could not have helped.

2. As soon as you are able, get on a good exercise routine... See your Doctor first, though. Aerobic activities such as walking, running, elliptical, etc will help with the weight loss and resistance training of some type will help increase your lean body mass AND hopefully help with the loose skin issue... I have lost 81 lbs so far and really do not have a loose skin issue ... and again, I am 52 yo and have been obese for quite some time. Slow methodical weight loss with good water intake will help with this as well. Also, this can help with those hips as you get close to your ideal weight. Fat will come off where it wants to... and for you , I suspect the hips will be last to go.. BUT eventually , it has to go as well.. and by working those hip adductors, you can tone the muscle mass in that area so it is firmer.

3. You have a long way to go but the journey of a 1000 miles starts with but one step. When I am on a long trip, I often think in terms of making it to the next town.. It helps me to break it up a little better... Right now you are 285... Think how WONDERFUL it will be to be only 250 again.. Then 225 ... then... You get the picture.. Think about the day that you are no longer considered "obese" (for me that number is 240 though I am sure yours is lower)... Break it down into bite size chunks... That is the only way to eat an elephant... one bite at a time...

Best wishes on your success. Keep the faith.. You got this.

cloveraz

We are all in this together!!!!...Like many previous posters have stated, take it one day at a time, and set mini goals. Heck, I even set day goals. It has not been easy, if you look at my profile, you will see where I started. I still have around sixty lbs too go, but, now I just want to get faster and stronger in everything I do. It's funny, I think, I found my one great passion in life and MFP has helped me see that....Stay strong!!! And don't forget to give yourself a pat on your shoulder, you have taken the first step!
:drinker:

N0703989

There are some amazing people here. Just reading their comments reinforces what an amazing community MFP is! A friend of mine mentioned in passing that she was using MFP - I went away and looked it up, and I'm so glad I did. That was a week ago and now I'm now 5lb lighter. Just by simply eating the recommended daily amounts. No quick fixes, no food group eliminations, no expensive products, pills or surgery.. Just eating less. One small victory at a time. Like you I have over 100lbs to loose but I have every confidence I have the right tools here to be able to acheive this. A big thank you to MFP and a big cheer to all those here that are a part of it.

ResilientWoman

Overwhelm is the amygdala's way of telling you that you are in fight or flight and that it thinks the monsters are going to eat you. It's mistaken. You are going to eat the monster, one bite at a time and your prefrontal cortex is just the buddy you need to do so.

I learned a long time ago that the weight melts off me faster than the thinking changes. Changing my thoughts actually changes more than my attitude. Newest neuroscience research indicates that our thoughts and our actions resculpt our brain. You can actually get a Functional MRI or a SPEC scan and measure/see the changes in our physical brain structures from choices like eating differently, moving differently and THINKING differently. It became so much easier for me succeed at my goals when I learned how to harness the brain's own design to accomplish my goals.

You have a LOT of support here that can be tapped at MFP. You have a lot of chances each day to stick with the old patterns or to take a courageous action, like this post, and change EVERYTHING.

I'm cheering for you.

dalmom

I know just how you feel I am 53 years old been overweight for most of my life. my journey started on Dec 6,2011 on that day I went to the Dr. to talk about surgery my sons both went with me I had my mind set that I was going to do this. after talking to the Dr my sons said they thought I could do it on my own. SO to prove them wrong I decided to try it on my own. I started small I eat everything but within my calorie goal for Christmas they got me a treadmill Ugh LOL I started MFP about two weeks into my life journey and it has changed my life Nothing goes in my mouth with out it being added on this site. My son told me to give it 28 days because it takes that long to change a habit. I picked a habit to change in that 28 days it was small but hugh for me it was to eat more veggies (I hate veggies) so I did and now I eat them everyday and lots of them. I learn to try new foods and found they are good. Now everyday I try something new and most of the time I find it is not to bad. I eat no sweats and I drink my water before I treat myself to a soda. My Favorite snack that I love is popcorn. I do not think I could do this if I could not have my popcorn. I found an exercise that I LOVE to do I joined the YMCA ( if money is tight they so have a scholarship program that you can apply for your payment is based on your income) I found water aerobics it has changed my life that is for sure. I am in the water for 2-4 hours 3-5 days a week. it is so much easier on the body and the workouts burns calories tone and strengthens . I have lost to date 95 pounds:-) I feel so much better. I started out at 357 and I have a long way to go. for every 50 pounds i lose I treat myself to a charm for my charm bracelet and i wear it proudly. It reminds me to keep going. I am thinking of get in more charms for every 25 pounds I lose still thinking on that . when I go out to eat I plan ahead i ooh on line to see their calorie counts for the food and decide before i go what i am going to get and only order it. I do not eat out much but when traveling i eat at subway and that really is the only time I have bread. I use spray butter on my food and popcorn I drink 64 oz of water a day sometimes more when it is hot. but no more than a gal a day to much water is not good for you. I always set small goal each week and med goal back in march I set a goal to lose 100 pounds by june 30th I was 5 kinds short I was so happy that I got close The old me would of gotten mad and threw in the towel and over ate. this new me is celebrating that I got with in 5 punds of my goal. It all about your mind set and how bad you want it. i chew lots of gum to keep from snacking. I still could sit down and eat a bag of chips if I let myself. Instead I eat pretzels and separate them into snack size bags that equal 110 calories easy to grab and easy to keep track. I eat lot of fruit that is my sweets. I tell everyone that I am on this journey the more support the better. I tell stances everyone at the Y know my church members know all my friends and their family know I figure this way so may people know that I can not stop I have to keep on going. I do not want to tell all them people I failed LOL My next goal is 150 pounds down by Christmas Oh how I want to make that Goal. 150 pounds in a year that be awesome. I believe I can do it and I will sure try hard to make it. Right not I just want to see 100 pounds lost. I tell everyone I lost my 2 granddaughters.LOL take pictures of your self all angles that way you can see the changes. It is hard to do but when you look back you see ow far you came and it motivates you to do more. I make signs on how many pounds lost and then take front sides and back pictures. I look back and I am so amazed how much my body has changed. I think the biggest thing is I never eat what i burn in my workouts I stick to the calories set here on MFP so if I workout and burn 1000 Calories and i eat 1600 cal I do not eat another 1000 cal just because I burn that. Now I know when I hit my goal weight I will have to eat what i burn at lease some of it to Maintain my weight but to lose my weight right now I do not. I know there are people that do but they do not lose as well . Plus my DR told me not to eat what I burn. I do follow up with the Dr. to make sure I am doing things right and I do have a dietitian that I see 2 times a year incase of questions. but on the most part I am doing it on my own. no WW NS or any fad diets for me. I want to keep it off this time and if I am eating everything I love I know I can do it. You can do it to start small set up 3 goals a longterm goal and mini goal and a weekly gaol and you will be just fine. when you start reaching those goals it will motivate you. I am here if you need encouragement you can friend me if you like. the more friends the better. :-) as you can see I have proven my Sons right LOL you can do this yes it can be overwhelming if you only focus on the longterm goal. but it not so overwhelming if you set those little goals you can do this. we are in this together. I call myself the incredible shrinking Woman. LOL I can not wait to see how successful you are. keep up the good work.

BlackStarlight

Hey huni,
you've had a bit of a rough road to be sure but what a great attitude to start with and I know its a big journey but they all start with a single step. You're one step closer than you were yesterday! Please feel free to add me and we'll do this together!! xxx

rwinans

Don't give up! I'm in the same boat...if we keep rowing side by side we will get to the end of the river! One day at a time!

marycmeadows

I think you have to think about it not as a diet but as a lifestyle change. That's what has helped me. I've lost 111.4lbs since january 1, 2011. feel free to add me.

determinedash

Hello! Please remember to take everything one day at a time. It's so easy to be overwhelmed looking at it all as a whole - I do it all the time, but broken down, it is a task anyone can accomplish! Feel free to add me as a friend to motivate each other!

mcpherson4

What I hear from you, is that you are ready. When we finally make our minds up; things begin to change. I am proud of you for overcoming so many obstacles and you should be proud of that too. This time make it all about you. You deserve this. You deserve it! One day at a time. One pound at a time. You can do this. You are not alone in this journey and we support you, and we believe in you! Concerning, Gary........well, from this day forth he will no longer have control over your self worth! And, in case you are not a "TV" person or "Celeb" person, BIG BOOTIES are REALLY "in style", these days. Google Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez. "Junk in the Trunk" is very vogue. Happy Week!

lostsanity137

I think you are making a great decision to keep positive! It's never too late so just stick to it. Do this for yourself, to get your life back, and don't worry about what other people say about your looks (that guy was SO rude!). Pear shapes are sexy too so don't let it get you down!
There are plenty of people and groups around here that have people in your age and weight range. I encourage you to join some of them to get support from people like you.
And if you would like another friend, feel free to add me!

You can do it!

ame337

Everyone has ups and downs. I found if we find something physical we love it makes staying in shape easier. I have been battling my weight for a long time. I've had guys tell me if I was skinner I would be pretty and I'm a size 10/12. People can be jerks, it just means they aren't worth it.

YOU need to get into shape for YOU. I stopped thinking of it as a diet and a lifestyle change. to be healthy and treat my body well. when I want that piece of cake or those fries, I have to force myself to think about what nutritional value I would actually be adding to my body and if I had a "treat" this week. the trick is taste everything not eat everything.

get rid of the word die and use the word change. I have been told by a few people that it takes 21 days to make a habit. Make some good habits in your life.

Also make small goals. weigh yourself at the same time whenever you set your weigh-in. say in 4 weeks I am going to lose 5lbs and go from there. every time you meet a goal you'll feel accomplished and it will go by so much faster. Tackle the now and don't focus on the future!

The last thing I'll say is don't think of it as losing weight, think of it as feeling better and energized and giving yourself a long happy and healthy life. do it ALL for YOU.

Trust me I am still struggling but its all in our minds- we can do whatever we put our minds to. it's our bodies.

Positive thoughts to all of you on our journey to feeling better

tugers2

just keep swimming..... (repeat)

Emancipated_Tai

First of all, congrats on joining this site! It has its plus and minus like everything, but it is a great tool if used properly. Myself started with 100 pounds to lose last July, and now more than half way over that goal. My advice to you is not to look at the whole picture, but 3-5 pounds at a time. This makes it easier to focus instead of a big number which can be overwhelming. I wish you all the best!