I don't have a clue as to how to lose weight!! Please Help!

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  • chocl8girl
    chocl8girl Posts: 1,968 Member
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    Just the fact that you are HERE and ready to try makes you a winner! <3 You can totally do this, and I think you may actually know more than you think you do. :) This site is GREAT for support and encouragement. I am rooting for you! :flowerforyou:
  • billglitch
    billglitch Posts: 538 Member
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    I know what you mean about people and their reaction to increased weight. I was 180 pounds in HS and an athlete. When I started MFP I was 360 at age 51. I had a couple that knew my parents come up to me at a funeral of all places and say, "what happened to you" as they looked me up and down.

    I have lost 29 pounds since May. My advice is fill out your profile etc, log everything you eat and be honest about it. Some days you are going to be over on your calorie goal, but dont give up. I have not given up any particular foods I just try to eat less of the high calorie foods. That said if I want a snickers bar, I have one, but I get the regular size not the king size. I think that if you deny yourself something you want it more and that makes it harder. BTW I have not started exercising yet.

    My wife started using MFP in June and her weight loss has been slower but she is losing. She has lost about 10 pounds.

    Dont give up!
  • kel_bucs99
    kel_bucs99 Posts: 12
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    Definitely take it slow, but YES be excited and track every little thing you consume. You'll be amazed and at times depressed at how much you were consumming in the past. It's time to move forward and you can do it with the help of family, friends and those on MFP. Good luck girl... you got this!!
  • AmyH724
    AmyH724 Posts: 31 Member
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    Our stories are very similiar. Even height & wt. Sent friend request! : )
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
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    Staying under your calorie goal you will lost weigh even if you don't exercise but exercise is really good for you so try to stick with it even if it's just a walk around the block. Watching your sodium and drinking lots of water will help a great deal. Feel free to add me as a friend if you like.
  • charlena48
    charlena48 Posts: 192 Member
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    Welcome to MFP!! It's a great place to start, meet new people for advice and live a healthier life. Don't look at it like a diet, think of it as a lifestyle change. That's exactly what I've done and I've lost weight. Years of yo-yo dieting is unhealthy and that's what I've done in the past. I just decided to get healthier and in better shape than I've ever been. Feel free to add me as a friend. Good luck!!:smile:
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    I have decieded to give up on fast food and soda (which I love), and drink more water (which I hate). I've signed up for water aerobics which starts tomorrow and I am looking forward to my new change in my life.

    you say you don't know how, but look! you do!
    OK, it will take more than that, true, but that is a HUGE start. For the rest? browse the forums, be diligent with your logging, and you will figure out the basics in no time.
  • Christi6604
    Christi6604 Posts: 245 Member
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    Welcome!

    Doing something outside of your comfort zone is hard at first, but you sound like you are ready to give it a proper go.

    Now for the good news (promise not to tell anyone outside of MFP), it's not actually that difficult! :bigsmile:

    The single most important thing you need to know is the ONLY proven method for losing weight is consuming (eating and drinking) less calories than you burn (through every day living and any exercise).

    There are layers and layers of other information will help you lose fat and get healthier, but this is the single most important fact you need to remember - that is why tracking calories works!

    My recommendation to begin with is to figure out a reasonable diet that you can stick to (no need to live on turkey breast and lettuce). and get involved in some regular exercise. The water aerobics is great because it is low impact, but anything like walking, swimming - whatever you are comfortable with is great!

    You will have probably set your diary to a 2lb loss (everyone does to start :tongue: ), so remember if you earn extra calories through exercise, you CAN and should eat those back.

    Finally, please spend some time surfing the forums here. There is a lot of crap, but you will pick up some really useful information that will help you along the way.

    All the best for the next phase, and feel free to hit me up if I can be of any more help!

    :flowerforyou:

    ^^^ Hear hear! I totally agree. Just remember steady progress is a good thing. You didn't gain overnight and you won't lose overnight either. Welcome. :smile:
  • ALW65
    ALW65 Posts: 643 Member
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    Hi Lisa! You have SO come to the right place to help you succeed!

    For me, the most important thing in being able to become healthier, lose weight, and get stronger is to change my mindset. I had failed so many times at trying to lose weight I'd gotten to the point of thinking, "Why even try...I'm just going to frustrate and disappoint myself and look weak in front of everyone who knows what I'm doing."

    But that's just what happened in the past. Look at my ticker total...I've NEVER lost this much weight at once in my entire life! I know it sounds cliche, but if I can - you can.

    The other biggest positive for me has been making quality MFP friends here. You'll find some people 'friend' you but then never comment at all or never move beyond 'great job!' - find those people who will get to know you, give you the right encouragement at the right time, and that you can help in the same way. Think about joining one of the challenges, too. I'm starting a challenge today where we have four teams and we're keeping track of how many minutes of exercise we do during the month of August. It's all very friendly and we're supportive of each other, not just are own team.

    Please feel free to send me a friend request (you'll probably get overwhelmed with them after posting) if I can help, and I'll be seeing successful before/after pics of you in the forum in no time at all!
  • Terree83
    Terree83 Posts: 93
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    Agree with everyone here! It may seem like a pain, but definitely track everything! It will help you to understand how much you're consuming.. it was definitely an eye opener for me! Also, start slow and work your way up. I've discovered that this is not about dieting, but changing the way I live my life. It's all about managing a better lifestyle. Don't set goals that are too unrealistic, and be honest with yourself.

    So glad you've come to this site to start your journey. The support you receive here won't be matched anywhere else! Best of luck to you!

    Feel free to add me :)
  • crazygracee
    crazygracee Posts: 34 Member
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    I would say the first stop should be knowing where you are now then deciding on where you want to be, health wise.

    At 5"5' currently weighing 198 lbs, your BMI is 33.0

    What the BMI numbers mean:

    Below 18.5 Underweight
    18.5 - 24.9 Normal
    25.0 - 29.9 Overweight
    30.0 and Above Obese

    How to set your goal:

    140lbs = 23.34 BMI (close to the top of your Normal BMI weight)
    130lbs = 21.67 BMI
    120lbs = 20.00 BMI
    110lbs = 18.34 BMI (Will be considered underweight already)

    So if you aim for the middle ground at 130lbs (ideal weight for women of your height) , it means you need to lose 68lbs which is about 1/3 of your currrent body weight.

    To start losing weight, you should be within 1700 - 2000 calories per day.

    If you aim for anywhere between 4-7lbs to lose monthly which is the healthy way to diet, you would be in your ideal weight in 10-17 months time. I hope this put things in perspective for you. I still have a long way to go on mine but I now follow the rule "Eat within your guidelines when you are not exercising and eat more when you are " This ensures I am not starving myself nor overeating.

    Good luck and keep us posted!

    G
  • no1canadianangel
    no1canadianangel Posts: 115
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    I have 2 personal trainers which are also health food freaks lol... if you want to lose the weight DO NOT eat back the calories you burned through exercise... !!! The point is to burn more calories than you eat!!!!!!
  • drelan
    drelan Posts: 59 Member
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    Plan your meals ahead of time, even for several days ahead of time then STICK TO IT! Read labels. You're mostly looking at calories, but watch the fat/carbs/sugar content as well. MFP will recommend what your goals should be and try to stay within those limits. Drink lots of water. I know, it's not tasty like a soda, but your body will thank you. I drink almost a gallon of water a day (and yes, I pee, A LOT) but I notice when I drink water the weight comes off faster. After a while your body will crave the water. Cook as many meals at home as possible. Going out to eat will completely sabotage your weight loss because you have no idea what they're putting in your food.

    Anywho...that's my diet 2 cents. Feel free to add me as a friend. You can view my food diary and maybe get some ideas.
  • Scrumps001
    Scrumps001 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hello Lisa,

    I just started as well. I started by going to see a nutritionist, and having already been tracking what I was eating, I was amazed to find out I was eating too few calories... so I was not dropping the pounds I felt I should have been losing. With my exercise, there were days, my net calories in would be 400 to 600! I now know the errors I was making; however, learning to eat the right balance of food is the hardest part. Consistency is very important when it comes to diet and exercise.

    So my first advice will be to ensure you eat enough calories to sustain the amount of exercise you will do. It is also important to not use the word "never" when you refer to foods/drinks you like; instead say... I will have less of ? this week, and put a number to the item. I joined this site at the request of my nutritionist, and have since gotten my sister to join. Just seeing her results/daily tracking is motivation enough for me! I'm currently stationed overseas, and don't have the luxury of seeing her every day, so seeing her progress gives me the partner I so desperately need!

    Just stay focused, and don't beat yourself up when you have a bad day... there will be those days... just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on!

    Best of Luck to you during this life long journey!:laugh:

    Leisa
  • sparklelioness
    sparklelioness Posts: 600 Member
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    Log everything. Just the act of logging will start to make you eat less, and make better choices. I absolutely didnt believe that when i started, it sounded like some BS mumbo jumbo, but ive found its true.

    Eat a good breakfast.

    Dont overreact to a bad day. - so you woke up this am and just werent in the damn mood for an egg white omelet, so you had pancakes. four of them. With syrup. And butter. And whipped cream. Firstly, that doesnt mean your day is ruined. Just eat a healthy lunch and dinner. But if you do decide to eat whatever you want that day, its ok. Youre not an awful person. Just get up tomorrow and make better choices :)

    Thats been a big change for me. Before if i overate one day id either give up and it would turn into a week or more of bad eating, or id overcompensate and starve myself for the next few days trying to 'make up for it', which of course would make me want to binge, cos i was starving. Now, i do neither of those things. Just get back on the horse- thats what i do now.

    Good luck :)
  • puffidredz
    puffidredz Posts: 119 Member
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    it takes about 2-3 weeks to form a habit. once you log everything during the 2-3 weeks, it'll be second nature to you and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. if you have a smart phone, get the MFP app on ur phone too. its also free. mostly everyone here are really nice and informative. there's a few misinformed people, but its easy to filter out the bs'rs.

    good luck!
  • photojunkie28
    photojunkie28 Posts: 292
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    It looks like you have tons of support already, but I just wanted to wish you the best on your life change! If you give it your all you will not be disappointed! My two pieces of advice on your journey :

    1. Put away the scale (now that you are active you will not ALWAYS see the scale move) Measure yourself and take before pictures (I didn't take pictures and wish I would have now that i'm at my half way point.)

    2. Find lots of recipes for a healthier you (and family friendly in your case) and print them all out, start a folder and rely on these for those "I don't know what to make for dinner" days. You can even seperate them into categories by type of food or how long it takes to make them for when your in a pinch.

    Feel free to add me as a friend if you like. Can never have too much support!
  • alfredapittman
    alfredapittman Posts: 256 Member
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    Hi Lisa. We have all been where you are, not knowing where to start but losing weight is possible. Once you change your diet and start moving consistently you should be fine. Every day is not going to be a breeze and there will be days when you want to quit but on those days you will need to rely on your friends, family and My Fitness Pal to pull you through. Most importantly you will need to encourage yourself. You will have to learn to be your biggest motivator. I know you can do it. Take care girl and know that you deserve to be the best you can be.
  • meowkapow
    meowkapow Posts: 103 Member
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    What worked for me was taking it slowly and replacing my favourite comfort foods with healthier options. I made the transition from soft drinks to water by having sparkling water with a bit of juice, then sparkling water on its own then water. If I want a burger or pizza I'll make it at home where I can control portions and calories. I wont have these all the time but I know if I did want it I could make it without it falling off the wagon! For me saying I'm never going to eat something ever again is just a way of labelling something naughty and becoming obsessed with it haha.

    Find something you like to do when it comes to exercise. I started off with bike rides!
  • recee96
    recee96 Posts: 224 Member
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    I think everyone gave some really good tips...I think a great start for you, is to figure out your bmr (Basal Metabolic Rate). This number is estimated amount of calories your body needs to function. So I wouldn't eat below this number on a daily basis. I've noticed that mfp tends to give you a lower number...and eating 1200 calories may be drastic when you've been eating a lot more over the years (for example). Here's a website with a good challenge for you to sign up to for support...as well as give you a wealth of info. I will also add you as a friend :) Stick to it...you're on the right track!

    http://blackwomenlosingweight.com/page/august-challenge

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