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

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.

73Freckles

i've thought about surgery too but i don't think i would appreciate the new me that much if i did it that way. working hard and the sweat and tears and the success from doing it myself even if it takes several years would mean more to me and would encourage me to keep it off. hang in there. do ever give up!!

nancybuss

Lots of great advice already. Big step, you are here! Add some of us as friends. We're here to help motivate. overall, YOU control what YOU put in your mouth! I agree with start with calories you drink. Lots of empty calories. Water, water, water! Diet soda is hard on the body too (although I get stopping it slowly for caffeine)

Get a small amount of exercise every day. even if that means walking up and down your driveway 3 times today, 4 times tomorrow, etc. you didn't gain over-night, you won't lose overnight.

Healthy Foods! Fruit, vegetables, eat up! start cutting out as many of those processed foods as you can!

You Can Do This!

Commit!!!

tbruegg

They are all right about learning to eat healthy. But on the other side my Son-in-Law did have the lap band surgery after years of struggling with his weight . It has been successful for him, now down to normal weight for his frame. He has to commit to a healthy lifestyle or it would all be for naught. So I guess I'm saying for some this is what works but, that is a personal decision we all have to make for ourselves either way we will be here to cheer you on.........

sukaera

Hey hey!! Welcome! We're all here to support and cheer each other on! Feel free to add me and expect to be supported and called out!

prairiedawg2014

how badly do you want this? if you want it badly enuf you WILL suceed! but its all about healthy choices......not just while you are here, but for a lifetime. are you ready to commit for a lifetime?
excercise also! even if its only 10 or 15 mins a day to start....you need to excercise. i guarantee you will be sucessful in your weightloss. Don't give up!! you can do this! good luck in your journey.....i wish you much sucess!! :flowerforyou:

crystalbluewolf13

het welcome back

Excira

Hang in there hun! My friend was 460lbs before using this website 7 months ago. He has now lost 140lbs and keeps going.

He is the reason I'm here. I was morbidly obese and lost the weight myself... however, the last 17 are not giving up without a fight (and neither am I).

Just remember what you feel like at this very moment and use that feeling as fuel to get the weight off.

SquidVonBob

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!

You've got a good sense of humor about yourself. That a really good thing! Being able to laugh at your failures is needed, because wallowing in self pity is detrimental. I'll send you a friend request and we'll do this together! If we keep each other on track and make sure we're at our calorie goals and exercising, we can do this. Foam is porous. That rock isn't as big as you think it is!

MissJanet55

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 don't know... i'm kinda thinking, forget the big changes.... I think I'd look for a small corner, and hit that with the hammer, and chip it off. It might not seem like you're getting anywhere, taking tiny chips off that huge boulder, but keep after it, and by gosh, you'll end up with a big change that you never saw coming!

That's interesting to me, because when I pictured the rock I didn't picture a huge boulder. I had more of a stone in my mind. It really struck me because I am a big believer in the value of small steps and I always thought of hitting the stone each time as a small and significant effort. I think just coming here is a valuable step, a bash at the rock.

TCondor

I grok your position dude. I've been up and down a few times (up more than down) and every "re-start" feels like an exercise in futility.

For me it's all about community and support, which I feel like I've found at MFP! Fee free to "friend" me if you'd like to connect w/a kindred spirit.

Peace -- TC

vmekash

Dude. Start tracking. Start walking. You can do this!
:drinker:

^^This!

Whatever you do, don't make it complicated. Just try to meet your daily calorie goal, and get in a little movement every day. YOu will hear from people about nutritional macros, and crazy exercize programs like P90X, and 30-day Shred. None of this is truly helpful to someone starting out (even if it is starting again for the 100th time).

I use the MFP's daily calorie goal like it is cash in my wallet. I have so many calories available when I wake up every day, but that is all the cash I can spend (eat). Now, if I'd like to spend (eat) more, then I need to earn more cash (burn more calories). I try to stay within 100 cal. of my goal -- give or take. Don't worry about the details, like Fat, Carbs, Protein, whatever, yet. People get hung up on these things, and have trouble moving forward.

Friend me, if you like. I'll cheer on your successes. I won't judge.

Good luck!

violet976

I'm not sure if it will help you, but I know I myself tend to be a very lazy, unmotivated individual. The main thing that helps me is to set my goals for the workouts I want to do, and do at least one of the routines *the second I step out of bed*. That way, I go through the rest of the day knowing I accomplished that one bit, that I didn't crap out. & I find that one bit of succeeding in my goal motivates me to keep going throughout the day, rather than what I'd normally do: spend all day thinking about the workout I still have to do & keep putting it off until I just don't do it.

I've also taken to daily walks. I still talk myself into them many times, which is funny because they are so low impact & I know I enjoy each and every one of them (we live in such a beautiful area for walks). & I find that the sunshine (or rain, this time of year) & fresh air also helps wake me back up again & gives me my next burst of energy throughout the day.

&, silly as it sounds, this website has really helped to kick my butt back in gear. I know I should be doing these exercises only for me, but I really love being able to come on here each day & post that I finished all my goals that day... that I didn't give up. & it also really helps to see other people struggling at the same points I do, or pushing through and making it to the next level, or simply seeing real people sharing their struggle & showing off the results they were able to achieve. It's a daily reminder that I too can push through this if I can just stay motivated.

I hope you find your motivation & just stick with it. I would focus rather on daily goals rather than result driven goals. Set your sights on accomplishing a certain set of tasks each day, each week, each month (exercise routine, changes in eating habits, etc), rather than thinking "I want to lose this many pounds each month". I think most tend to feel successful when they can look at each week and think "Wow, I really am eating healthy & my body is feeling better than before" or "wow, I'm really noticing a change in my endurance during these routines, they are beginning to get a bit easier".... rather than, "I didn't lose any weight this week". Focus on the positive changes, and hopefully the rest will stem from there.

aStrongerSteph

I think that a strong support group of friends who have the same struggles, will help! Wishing you much success.

moraldd

Lots of fat backs on here. You're in good company.