he's back!! and fatter than ever ladies and gentleman!!

sgreen328

Small changes add up to big things. You can do it, just pick one thing at a time and then go from there. It's not easy, but you know you need to do something because your here. 3 years ago I couldn't be weighed at my doctors office, I have no idea how much I weighed. It took me more than a year to just get under 400 pounds so I could be accurately weighed. You can do this, friend me if you like :happy:

bluefox9er

I have a friend who says that making these big changes is like hitting a stone with a hammer. You can hit it 100 times and it doesn't seem like anything is happening, then the 101st time the stone breaks open. So keep trying!

I believe this is the most simple yet powerfully profound bit of advice ever given on MFP..it really is a question of keep trying..eventually you will want it bad enough, and when that moments arrives, the hammer really does smash the stone.

bluefox9er

it works. you just have to be accountable and honest with yourself.

here are my tips.

1) determine your BMR/TDEE or whatever you want to call it so you know what amount of calories (on average) you should be eating to lose weight at a healthy pace. if you use the MFP tools, they'll compute this for you.
2) log everything. don't eat it if you can't log it. take a multivitamin everyday with food.
3) don't drink your calories. try to get to a point where all you drink is water.
4) walk or jog or run. alot! then start strength training when you're up to it.

forget the scale. don't obsess about daily changes in weight. they don't mean anything. what you're focusing on are long term changes to your lifestyle. the weight WILL come off. you CAN do it. the math works and it doesn't lie. it just takes time.

this is not a diet and you don't have to deny yourself anything you crave, you just have to eat in moderation and be accountable for what you put in your mouth. if you go over on Monday by 300 calories, then go under on Tuesday and Wednesday by 150 calories each day. be honest with your log. be accurate. be accountable. you can lose the weight and it will happen faster than you realize when you make this a lifestyle change.

^^ ultimate WIN ^^. awesome advice.

bluefox9er

Ok ya ever seen those fake foam rocks? Those soft thingies that look just like a rock but the inside is made of sponge? Thats the rock I been hitting! lol! I give it a good swat and it shrinks.....but then it bounces off the table and smacks me in the chin...ugh!

then change the hammer!

Kimaw65

I agree, small baby steps but make those steps count towards exercise!! Don't think about how much weight you want to lose or what weight you would like to be, think more in terms of by the end of the month I would like to be x amount of pounds lighter and make sure the goal is reasonable. Friend request sent

smantha32

You don't even have to do anything extreme at this point.

cut your food intake by just 1/3. Walk for as long as you can stand it. Even if it's only 5 minutes a day.

A friend of mine lost 80 pounds just by replacing Pepsi with water. No exercise, no food changes. Just stopped drinking Pepsi and drank water instead.

But you have to do something. If you just log onto the internet and complain nothing will change.

floridagirl7264

I know it sounds like a huge undertaking and feel hopeless. That's because I was looking at the big picture. Look at the little picture. One step at a time. I have to lose 100 lbs and when I see that, I think that there is no way that I can do it. But then I go looking at tickers. When I see others are doing it or have done it, it gives me the motivation to keep going. Take it slowly. Think just for today I'm going to walk for 10 mins. Then gradually build up to it. Please don't give up on yourself! :flowerforyou:

kristarablue2

Baby it is impossible to fail if you never stop trying. Obviously weigh your options and I know how very difficult losing weight can be and what a slippery slope one slip up can do, for me it sends me spiralling. But don't let it, remember just take it moment to moment, if one moment is difficult hold strong until the next moment and if you have a moment of weakness, move on to the next moment of strength. I have lost 120 pounds and it has been through many trials and tribulations. Do what is right for you, don't follow a diet or eating plan that is not right for you, take baby steps. Maybe cut out one item such as soda or sugar and for sure all artificial sweeteners. What ever your kryptonite is, cut that out and don't worry about anything else for a month. You don't have to start everything all at once, you can if you want but you don't have to, remember this takes time, patience and courage. You have all these things within you, but NEVER stop trying, once you do it is all over. Also just a note about surgery, if you lose it that quickly you will have lots of extra skin issues and non absorption of nutrients to name just a couple side effects. Look I wanted surgery at one time as well and if that is what you need to do, I totally have your back, and sometimes that is what has to be done, but I know you can do it without, I can feel it. You SOO HAVE THIS!!!

WaltSeher

I got ya bluefox! ha ha! good call

Nerdybreisawesome

You can totally do this without surgery!!! And even if you have surgery, you still have to eat healthy, so why not do it without having major surgery?

mom2handh1975

I have a friend who says that making these big changes is like hitting a stone with a hammer. You can hit it 100 times and it doesn't seem like anything is happening, then the 101st time the stone breaks open. So keep trying!

^^^ this!

AmberJo1984

Don't give up. I never thought I could lose the weight. Since on MFP, though, I have lost 17.2 pounds (in less than 2 months). There's a lot of good advice on this site... and a lot of people who will be here to encourage you. It's hard... but, it's definitely worth every step of the journey. Just don't give up. You CAN do this. :drinker:

tashaa1992

I think you should keep going, try and try and try again. I have never been overweight, but I'm trying to recover from anorexia and this is the advice my dietician gave me: make one new small step once a week/month, whatever you feel you can cope with, just don't give up because this is your health we're talking about. Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can. Keep fighting xxx

ktsmom430

You can do it! Everything is relative. Some need to lose only 5 pounds to them, it seems like a lot. To some of us who need to lose 100 pounds or more, it seems a very small amount. We can all do it if we have the will, commitment and people to support us through good and bad days. Seemingly unsurmoutabble obstacles can be achieved. Focus on small goals. Gain strength from people here. It works! You are worth it.
My 8th month anniversary is coming up here in a couple of weeks. If someone would have told me 8-1/2 months ago that I would be where I am today, I would not have believed them.
If this old, (61) lady can do it, anyone can.

HarlCarl

IMHO...

...surgery isn't the solution. The last thing I would want to do is go under the knife. ***edit: A friend nearly died having the stomach surgery*** I cringed when the Dr. told me there was a 3% chance of dying even for a simple tonsillectomy. (I survived.)

585 days ago I downloaded the MFP app and decided I would give it a whirl. I'd been going to the gym for over a year, with no results. I started including cardio with my gym time. At first, I thought 10 minutes on the elliptical was going to cause heart failure.

I opted to lose 1.5 pounds a week. There were weekly weigh-ins of 7-8 pound losses a week during the first six months!!

I spent a lot of cold, damp days out on the track at the park with snow falling just walking because running was too bouncy. After a while, I was wogging. (Jogging and walking)

I feel better now than I did 25 years ago. I nearly weigh what I did when I graduated high school.

Stick with it and you'll enjoy success, too!!!

---

The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses; No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours-it is an amazing journey-and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” Bob Moawad

cebreisch

Yeah, I hear ya. I thought my scale was broken too until I realized it didn't go up to 376!!

I thought surgery was the only way for me so in April 2011, I went to see a lap-band surgeon. He wanted me to get down to a 50 BMI - that was going to mean losing about 90 pounds.

I started seeing the dietician, joined weight watchers, and got a fitbit. I'm now down 103 pounds - and still haven't had the surgery yet, and at this point, I've put it off until/if/when I hit the plateau from "someplace very hot".

One of the nutritionists told me to focus on lean, healthy proteins, and the carbs and fats would take care of themselves. Generally, I've found that to be true. It's all about making livable changes....and not all at once. Make a change like drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Then replace a fast food meal with something else healthier. It's all about making small changes one at a time to not make the blow so traumatic. Every time I try to say, "NO MORE CHOCOLATE" - all I want is chocolate.

Know that you're human and humans aren't perfect. You're going to stumble. The trick is to get back on track before the stumble finds an endless pit of despair - basically take more steps forward than backwards, and there is no competition with this!! It takes what it takes. It isn't how long it takes you to finish the race as long as you get there!

chocl8girl

Hey you! Yes, you! YOU are worth it! You can do this! One step at a time, one pound at a time. Stop looking at the big picture. Set a goal of 10 pounds. Reach it. Set a new goal of 10 pounds. Before you know it, you'll have done that 10 times!

And just so you know, even if you DO decide to have surgery, it is NOT a quick fix, or an easy way out! You STILL need to change your attitude, your outlook, and your relationship with food! There IS NO EASY WAY OUT! But there are easier ways to take the baby steps that lead up to the leaps and bounds! I believe in you. :flowerforyou:

CarmenSRT

Walt, at your size (and as a guy) you don't have to make extreme efforts to lose at first. You DO have to start tracking and start moving within your physical ability though. The first step though is honesty. You know how you got to 420 pounds. You ate way too much and moved way too little. Same as everyone else.

Ready, set, GO!

RuthAnnClore

it works. you just have to be accountable and honest with yourself.

here are my tips.

1) determine your BMR/TDEE or whatever you want to call it so you know what amount of calories (on average) you should be eating to lose weight at a healthy pace. if you use the MFP tools, they'll compute this for you.
2) log everything. don't eat it if you can't log it. take a multivitamin everyday with food.
3) don't drink your calories. try to get to a point where all you drink is water.
4) walk or jog or run. alot! then start strength training when you're up to it.

forget the scale. don't obsess about daily changes in weight. they don't mean anything. what you're focusing on are long term changes to your lifestyle. the weight WILL come off. you CAN do it. the math works and it doesn't lie. it just takes time.

this is not a diet and you don't have to deny yourself anything you crave, you just have to eat in moderation and be accountable for what you put in your mouth. if you go over on Monday by 300 calories, then go under on Tuesday and Wednesday by 150 calories each day. be honest with your log. be accurate. be accountable. you can lose the weight and it will happen faster than you realize when you make this a lifestyle change.

I couldn't agree more. Especially "Don't drink your calories" Also don't rely on diet drinks. Artificial sweetners have proven to help our bodies retain fat. Water and natural teas are the way to go, if you must sweeten use Stevia derived products.

sxt1988

Everything starts with the mind. You either decide to live, or you die.

Don't let your scale get to you. Scales can send a negative message to the mind and perpetuate the cycle of negative self image - feeling worthless - eating to cope with feeling worthless - weight gain - repeat.

Evaluate your mind. Know what you are living for. Your life doesn't have to be fabulous by society's standards to be worth living. Even living just to see the sun rise is reason enough. Then fight for your right to live that life healthfully.

Best of luck to you.