This is my last chance

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Replies

  • EthanB93
    EthanB93 Posts: 2
    Thanks everyone for your kind words an inspiration! It really makes me feel good. I was really nervous about beginning on this trek, but I feel like there is a community here to support me and guide me along the way. Thanks.
  • angusmike
    angusmike Posts: 97
    Welcome and best of luck!

    All I can say is, set achieveable goals and set out to develop good eating and exercise habits. This web site is a great tool in assisting you to reach your goal. Don't be discouraged, but treasure every victory. Focus on being healthy in your life choices and the weight thing will take care of itself.

    Feel free to friend me if you need a diet/exercise bud. :smile:
  • baoneill29
    baoneill29 Posts: 138 Member
    Hi Ethan, I had so many things I wanted to express to you after reading your post, but I as I read down the thread, everyone covered all my thoughts! We are in good hands here, WE can do this man. Don't get discouraged, it's a long road, there will be bumps. To reach our goals takes a level of commitment maybe we haven't had before. I know the success we WILL achieve in our fitness will carry over to other parts of our lives. Good luck!
  • iAMsmiling
    iAMsmiling Posts: 2,394 Member
    The only time you can say "Last chance" is when you're pulling the cord on your back up chute...otherwise, you're just building experience for the next try.
    :happy:
  • rompers16
    rompers16 Posts: 5,404 Member
    Feel free to add me as well...I know having good friends on here really helps...at least for me it does.
  • optigal
    optigal Posts: 42 Member
    Hi Ethan, I agree with some of the other posters.....this is not your last chance and try not to beat yourself up and take it one day at a time. One step at a time and if you have any set backs come back here....I'll be happy to help you.... friend me and good luck! Mary
  • gogonunubean
    gogonunubean Posts: 160 Member
    Well this is the first step!

    My only advice to you is don't lie. I mean, to yourself. Log every single thing you eat for a while. That sneaky big mac is gone in a moment but if you log it you have to face it later. Learn from each day and vow to just be a little better the next day. Go for small goals - driving past the drive through, walking up stairs. If you have a bad day, suck it up and forget it, don't let it derail you.

    And know that it is hard. But know that you can do it. :smile:
  • Maddi_InBetweenDays
    Maddi_InBetweenDays Posts: 177
    Find something sustainable and what works for you. Consistency is the most important thing. If this is important to you, you will succeed :)
  • Dawners98
    Dawners98 Posts: 120 Member
    I would have to say first and foremost, weight loss and getting healthy are not 'all or nothing' activities. You will have set backs. You will indulge. You will lose motivation. Something I realized early on was to accept that it would happen, embrace it, call it what it was, and start the next day with a clean slate. Don't consider temporary lapses in progress as total failure, because they are not. Sure, I get annoyed when I lose the same 2 pounds over and over, but I consider each time a chance at success. I lost those pounds once, so I know darn well I can lose them again. And you can, too! We all can! Congratulations for realizing your life needs a change, and good luck!
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    I went from 334 to 240. I eat fast food and drink sugary drinks all the time. I'm not a "food zombie" which some people turn into here.

    My advice to you is don't diet at all. Learn to eat in moderation. Just make sure you set your calorie goal. I'd recommend 1lb a week to start off and make sure you don't go crazy on fat/carbs in the end. Treat losing weight like a game. Play with your food log the night before to min/max what you'll eat. If you can commit to the plan you'll win.

    Also learn to exercise. I recommend walking its a low impact exercise and try to get an 45-60 minutes in 4-5 days a week. It'll help build some muscle in your legs which in return will help you lose fat.
  • ccckwalk
    ccckwalk Posts: 262
    welcome back!!! Add as many people as you can! Get logging and get moving!!!! Don't think about the past just push forward. We will be there for you along the way. You can do it this time. I am a stay at home momma of 2 kids, 6 and 2, I am taking classes to get my RN. I am now a runner and Jillian Michaels addict. Hope you have fun with this new lifestyle. That is the only way to lose the weight right and keep it off. Find something that you love and do it with you whole heart!!! ~Corina
  • ahjenny
    ahjenny Posts: 293 Member
    Make small changes every day. Park your car in the last space when you go grocery shopping. Drink a glass of water instead of a soda. Try to make one meal or one snack a healthy one, until you feel like you can start replacing junk with the good stuff. I got a fitbit and it's been a real eye opener. I wasn't nearly as active as I thought. It's my goal to walk 8,000 steps a day and do at least 10 sets of stairs a day. When I start to accomplish those regularly, then I will up the goal and work toward that. You didn't get to where you're at overnight, so don't expect to change all your habits (and expect them to stick) overnight, too. Good luck, you can do this.
  • mjterp
    mjterp Posts: 650 Member
    This isn't your last chance, but it IS your best chance to lose weight & get healthy ...... here are some tips I've gotten from the members:

    Don't focus on weight loss, focus on healthy eating & fitness ..... the weight will come off.
    .
    Baby steps work ..... be consistent ..... develop new habits.

    Look forward to your new food choices - don't see them as a punishment.

    Focus on your successes, not failures.

    Eat the food needed, in the amounts needed, to get the results desired.

    Bring the most focus to your workout on any given day.

    Learn from your results, positive or negative ..... and be patient !

    Rest appropriately for maximum recovery.

    Kick *kitten*, day in & day out !

    Hope some of these tips will be of help ...... experiment until you find what works ..... and log in every day :drinker:

    ^^^THIS
    together with what pretty much everyone is saying.

    I would like to add...
    My weight is coming off SLOWLY (about a quarter pound per day average as figured by dividing my total loss by my total consecutive days on MFP) SLOW is permanent to me.
    I am making SMALL habit changes...so it isn't an overhaul that I CAN'T keep up with. My first habit was logging onto MFP every day. My next habit was logging FAITHFULLY all of the foods I eat. Several weeks later I added the habit of LOGGING WEEKENDS TOO. I also added eating Breakfast, eating something every 3-4 hours (Because I am in this habit I can no longer eat the huge quantities that I used to eat when I was eating one meal a day), drinking plenty of water (and logging it), Logging even when I'm on vacation, eliminating drinking calories, bringing my meals/snacks with me (no temptation to eat fast food out or over eat next time I have food available), minimizing whites (sugar, flour...basically tons of calories but no valuable nutrients or filling power), using the bathroom UPSTAIRS at work (and NOT taking the elevator!)...And JUST added staying in the green EVERY day. (I'm on day 3 of success)

    This is just a peek at what I have been doing. Not twenty things at once. NOT perfection in all things immediately. It takes time to build a habit. When I feel like I have something down pat, I pick the next thing to add. If the next thing to add proves to difficult AT THIS TIME I pick another habit that I think I will have success with. HOW do I know I am succeeding? When I had a backslide and things like packing my meals and drinking plenty of water were so automatic...but using the restroom upstairs went out the window that week.

    I keep in mind the following:
    THIS IS A LIFESTYLE *NOT* A DIET (it has no end...I must be HAPPY as I go on this journey)
    PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION
    at any time I can STOP making bad choices and start FRESH. (just because I over eat at one meal doesn't give me permission to blow off the whole day...just jump right back on the horse!)
    "Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up!" (bat man quote)
    I didn't get FAT overnight...I won't get THIN overnight
    My GOAL is maintenance...not the goal weight I want to be. (ie: MFP doesn't ever go away for me.)

    There is more...but this is SOME...it is a start and everyone starts SOMEWHERE. YOU can DO this!
    Add me as a friend if you want. I'm going to be around.

    Remember...babysteps.
    (and I OVER estimate calories I take in and UNDER ESTIMATE calories I burn off because I am just conservative that way)
  • DawnEH612
    DawnEH612 Posts: 574 Member
    You can do this! Start small and work your way toward a healthier lifestyle each day. First, make a pledge to yourself to log everything you eat each and every day. Remember that every bite is a decision. Is the bad food really worth it, or can you find something you like that's healthier to eat instead? Use some of the money your spending on unhealthy food and new clothes to allow yourself to indulge in better food - high quality cuts of meat, 93% lean hamburger, blueberries off season. Find something you like that you can keep on hand so that if you're hungry in between meals, you can have a little something to get you through. Don't starve yourself as that will set anyone up to fail. And, if you have an off day, stop indulging as soon as you can and remember that tomorrow is another day. We're only human and one day of screwing up does not make us failures. We're only failures if we give up because of one day. And, ask people for suggestions as often as you need. This isn't the fastest journey, but the end result is definitely worth it!
    Sound advice!
  • DawnEH612
    DawnEH612 Posts: 574 Member
    The thing that worked for me was figuring out that my weight. Want my issue... It was my head! I came onto MFP for accountably of what I put in my mouth but it nest until I got things figured out in my head that weight started to come off. I recognized I did a lot of mindless eating and shoveling of food into my mouth, going into almost a food coma. I wrote a few blogs boot the journey and some have tips on how I became a MINDFUL eater, not a dieter! Nothing is off limits..NOTHING. Instead I trained myself how to eat the things I like in moderation. And guess what, it works. Feel free to check out my blogs and contact me if you have any questions or need some ideas. Best of luck... You are capable of doing this!
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Not your last chance. You have as many chances as you need to succeed.
  • Katahna
    Katahna Posts: 326 Member
    Hey everyone,

    I've been around these parts before, and I have failed. I have failed doing this over and over again. I have reached the point where too much of my income is going to pay for food that's killing me and new clothes to fit my expanding waistline. I'm done. My parents are disappointed and scared, my friends treat me differently, and my relationships have not been fulfilling.

    I would really like support in my venture to go from 290 pounds, to ~200 over the next many months. I have tried and failed before, but I want to succeed this time.

    Any tips or words would be much appreciated.

    All the best,
    Ethan

    Add me my friend, I know exactly how you feel =] more than happy to answer any questions you have
  • xLexa
    xLexa Posts: 482 Member
    Hi Ethan. I have been in your shoes many times! Until this time :) MFP has helped me stay on track and my pals here have helped so much when I was having rough times. Without them I'd probably have gone for that McDonalds I was craving today when I wasn't even hungry! lol Just take each day at a time, and even if the weight is stubborn, be more stubborn ;) Good luck you CAN do this !
  • fivekidsmom
    fivekidsmom Posts: 1
    have you tried Body by Vi? Visalus is a protein drink. Two shakes in place of breakfast and lunch and sensible dinner with a few healthy snacks during the day. Check out their website on facebook. Everyone is very encouraging and there are tons of recipes.
    I just printed off 14 pages of diffferent recipes to try. I've lost 4 lbs and a few inches in a two weeks. It's not your last chance its just a new beginning! :smile: :smile:
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I'm willing to help!
    I have a method that works well and keeps you full!

    Send a friend request and a PM.
    I'll get you started!
  • angelcurry130
    angelcurry130 Posts: 265 Member
    Ethan,
    It takes alot of courage to make a change in your lifestyle. Kudos on that!

    Something that has helped me get through the slow periods are mini-rewards. For every 10 lbs I lose, I can have one thing. Be it a new dvd, music, video game, piece of art...wherever your passion lies. It helps to keep track of the progress you made and gives you something to strive toward. Also keeps you from focusing too much on the bigger picture, which can be pretty daunting. If you can have someone keep you accountable to it, even better. That person can be an encouragement to you, to help you get to that next milestone.

    I hope the best for you, and great success to come!
  • UNTOLDSMILE
    UNTOLDSMILE Posts: 150 Member
    It's very uplifting to see all the caring on this page. It truly makes me smile. I like this site.
  • moonlightturk
    moonlightturk Posts: 398
    Ethan,

    Add me if you need too. As somebody has already said before this is not your last chance, but make it your best.

    I've tried this whole weight loss thing many many times and failed many many times only because I gave up so close to the finishing line. This time I'm making a change for a better me. I made a vow to myself couple months ago that I will start taking better care of myself by eating clean and by exercising every day. By exercising I don't mean running 5 miles - I mean incorporating movement throughout my day.

    You can do it, we can do it, everybody can do it as long as they work hard, stay patient and consistent and determined!! Good luck!

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