About 600lbs, Time to Lose a Few
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Congrats on taking the first step. Feel free to add me as a friend and ask any questions you may have. I remember reading this lady's blog who was 600+. Here's the link to it
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/eye4art/view/where-to-start-when-you-re-morbidly-obese-445696
I thought you might find it helpful and maybe you could add her as a friend for support
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/eye4art
Best of luck. Remember to start by making small managable changes and better choices everyday0 -
You should be really proud that you have made this first - very critical step!
The best advice I can give is: dont give up! it will be worth it in the end!
Also, don't expect so much from yourself in the beginning, it will be hard but you dont want it to be unpleasant, there is a lot of information out there, and it can be really overwhelming!
Try and stick to your calorie limit, no matter what your eating, even though 4000 may not seem like a lot to you, it is manageable (ex. mine is limited to 1200).
Start with small things - liquid calories are killer (like pop, iced tea, cream in your coffee) because they add a lot of calories with out making you full. If you can try drinking mainly water for the first week, that is a great goal. Then you could try and eat at least one healthy meal a day, or at least add in some fruits and veggies that you enjoy.
Baby steps are key, but one thing I like to keep in mind is this quote: "The more weight you want to permanently lose, the more of your lifestyle you have to permanently change!"
Good Luck and add me as a friend! I am going to school for nutrition and this is what I'm passionate about, I will try my best to help you! (and any one else who want to add me!)0 -
Hi Dani,
I just started my fat loss journey, so I may not know what I'm talking about yet, but I would like offer support to you.
My biggest problem with starting this journey was that I wasn't yet ready to give up cookies. What I didn't realize is that there are a lot of other ways to start cutting calories. I love bagels, but after looking at the labels on packages, I found that I could cut about 100 calories by going with thin bagels. I still get the bagel I love without the extra calories. Little changes like that can add up and at least give you somewhere to start.
Try not to think about being deprived of what you love. I found that this helped me alot when I quit smoking. Rather than thinking about how much I wanted a cigarette, I reminded myself of the truth, which was that I didn't want to smoke anymore. I wanted to be a non-smoker. Acknowledging the craving and then focusing on my goal again really seemed to help. Your mind is a powerful thing. Use it to your advantage.
You can do this.0 -
Hi Dani, I am losing but I weighed 284 lbs in March. I am short only 5'2" and I think am in the same boat as you when it comes to exercise. I would love if you would add me because I don't know how to add people. Thanks0
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I noticed your last line said that you are not looking forward to this. Unfortunately, that attitude will keep you right where you are, or make things worse. Try to remember that food is something we need to survive, and nothing more. I hope for your life, that you can tell yourself, that you ARE looking forward to this. I hope you can make the realization, that big changes are needed for you to survive. This place is a great place to start those changes. Your body will thank you in ways you cant yet imagine. Good luck on your path to recovery. I wish you the best.0
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I definitely find it helps to eat regular meals (personally, I go for 3) and have a calorie goal for each meal. I try to aim for approximately equal amounts.
So for you, if you split it into 3 meals, you would have about 1000 calories for each, then another 1000 to spread through the day (in case you go over in one meal, or to be used for snacks!)
And remember: healthier foods generally have less calories, so you can have more of that than you would the less healthy stuff. A bowl of spinach with chicken will probably satisfy you as good as a chicken burger, but be way healthier. And you can still have room for a treat later.0 -
Hey Dani
Wishing you lots of strength and motivation on your journey. Maybe try walking in the pool and gentle walks, put aside 20 minutes a day for this and increase as you can. Food diaries are also great to see where you are going wrong, once I got the visual of what I was putting in my mouth, my brain clicked and now my choices are much better!0 -
Welcome to MFP!!! Feel free to add me! I'm am at 219....hoping to get down to 149 lbs0
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I wanted to add my happiness that you are starting this journey as well.
I know right now the task of loosing weight seems very daunting and scary. You wonder how you are going to eat less than what you do now. I remember many years ago watching that reality tv show the black swan and wonder how the women survived on a 1200 calorie limit, but once I did it, it didn't seem so scary. This time around I added veggies and I have to chew so much my mouth get's tired.
You will have this same experience with 4000 calories once you learn how to make better choices in food. You will be able to eat a higher volume of food and still eat less calories than you were eating before. Just educate yourself and you'll see it's not so scary.
Good luck.0 -
Hi Dani,
congrats on taking your first step towards and new and healthy you. Most people say that's the hardest step, but for me it wasn't. For me the hardest steps are saying no when I want something sweet really bad. Or when I"m really craving fast food. It's also hard for me to say no to food that the rest of my family is eating that I really want, but I want to be healthy more.
I started at 440 lbs. I've lost a total of 186 and have about 90 lbs to go.
It can be done. I agree with a lot of the recommendations here.
First of all, when someone is as heavy as I was, or you are, it is absolutely essential to get medical clearance before starting any diet program and perhaps even be monitored closely by a dr. I worked with my primary care physician, a dietician, and a personal trainer. Of course, I had the funds to do so. I agree with the number 500. But I wouldn't decrease 500 a day it might be a little too quick for your body. You don't want to do anything that is going to shock your system until you are used to your new way of living. I would suggest decrease your caloric intake by 500 calories each week.
I also agree with the fact that you don't have to do major exercise. I couldn't exercise at first because I was too big of a health risk. I had to lose 50 lbs just by changing my diet. And then my dr. cleared me for exercise. I started small, I walked down to the corner of the street and back (that's 3 houses). Then I joined a gym (that I didn't go to for another 3 months mind you). I started with the recumbent bike for 5 minutes. It was all I could handle. And of course the cardio equipment at my gym is upstairs....and I had to take the elevator. Then I eventually started to take the stairs. Then I started not using my handicap parking anymore. And I would park just a little bit further than normal.
Here are a few diet suggestions that have worked for me.
1. Drink 16 oz of water prior to every meal or snack. (This counts towards your daily water consumption too).
2. Eat every 2-3 hours and if you forget then set an alarm. It helps speed up your metabolism, you don't get as hungry as often and it prevents binges and consuming more calories than your intention.
3. Write everything down. Writing brings about awareness and with that awareness comes permanent lifestyle changes.
4. Eliminate sugary drinks (juices, sodas, milk (except the number of recommended servings daily).
5. Find a good vitamin regimen and take them daily.
6. Continue to ask for support as needed.
7. Eat fruits before 3 pm (even though its natural sugar, it's still sugar). You have more opportunity to burn off sugar earlier in the day.
8. Add in lean protein, fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and more water.
9. Take away processed foods, sweets, white flour, fast food, and anything else that makes you feel bad.
10. I keep track of a feelings journal...I track my emotional feelings before and after every meal along with my physical feelings. Am I more achey than normal, is my heart racing, etc... It just brings about more awareness and helps you identify the things that make you feel bad.
11. Caffeine is a diuretic and for every 8 oz that you drink, you excrete 16 oz of fluids. So make sure you replace that with extra water.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to add me. 0 -
Hi Dani, just a quick message of support and encouragement!
I started at nearly 500, so I know a little bit about where you are coming from. I have slight knee issues from carrying around all this excess weight, and was too embarrassed to go to a public swimming pool, so I started small by doing seated cardio exercise videos from youtube and sparkpeople. If you would like specific details let me know I'm now down 50 pounds and doing 'Walk Away The Pounds' videos, which are a great tool as well.
You've been given plenty of great advice here, but if I can offer anything it's to include a little 'treat' every few days which fit into your calories. I certainly am not perfect or a nutritionist, but gosh...knowing I can have a little piece of chocolate or icecream on (insert day) just keeps me happy! Sounds crazy no doubt, but it helps to keep me on track and make good choices the other 90% of the day.
You've made the first move, keep going strong Dani! Feel free to add me if you like 0 -
I have found that making my food diary public makes me feel more accountable. It also opens you up to lots of possibly unwanted advice, but you''ll get good advice and encouragement too.0
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Congrats for taking that first step and joining MFP.
One thing that has helped me so far is to plan out my day in advance. Then I can see where I need to cut back or where I can add more.
Feel free to add me as a friend. You can never have too much support! Let's support each other!0 -
I noticed a woman a few up mentioned a good vitamin regime- u should follow your dr's direction on this - my dr said he wanted me on a daily multi and a d I found some but realized because of my slow metabolism and being so big they weren't digesting properly so I switched to multivites gummie vitamins- my point here is u may gain more value from gummie vitamins for adults at this point because of metabolism and digestion rather than pill form but like I said and the woman above said your dr should be the last say... because he knows what meds you are on I imagine thyroid and BP meds- and u can't take calcium or iron suppliments with in 4 hours of thyroid meds it interfers with absorption and u can't have grapefruit with most BP meds... anyways just sharing my experience being a big gal myself.
Hugs and Love
RaNae
aka
RaNaeLuvsLuznit
Luznit 1 Meal, 1 Snack, 1 Logged Calorie, 1 day at a time0 -
Excellent recommendations and very inspirational!!Hi Dani,
congrats on taking your first step towards and new and healthy you. Most people say that's the hardest step, but for me it wasn't. For me the hardest steps are saying no when I want something sweet really bad. Or when I"m really craving fast food. It's also hard for me to say no to food that the rest of my family is eating that I really want, but I want to be healthy more.
I started at 440 lbs. I've lost a total of 186 and have about 90 lbs to go.
It can be done. I agree with a lot of the recommendations here.
First of all, when someone is as heavy as I was, or you are, it is absolutely essential to get medical clearance before starting any diet program and perhaps even be monitored closely by a dr. I worked with my primary care physician, a dietician, and a personal trainer. Of course, I had the funds to do so. I agree with the number 500. But I wouldn't decrease 500 a day it might be a little too quick for your body. You don't want to do anything that is going to shock your system until you are used to your new way of living. I would suggest decrease your caloric intake by 500 calories each week.
I also agree with the fact that you don't have to do major exercise. I couldn't exercise at first because I was too big of a health risk. I had to lose 50 lbs just by changing my diet. And then my dr. cleared me for exercise. I started small, I walked down to the corner of the street and back (that's 3 houses). Then I joined a gym (that I didn't go to for another 3 months mind you). I started with the recumbent bike for 5 minutes. It was all I could handle. And of course the cardio equipment at my gym is upstairs....and I had to take the elevator. Then I eventually started to take the stairs. Then I started not using my handicap parking anymore. And I would park just a little bit further than normal.
Here are a few diet suggestions that have worked for me.
1. Drink 16 oz of water prior to every meal or snack. (This counts towards your daily water consumption too).
2. Eat every 2-3 hours and if you forget then set an alarm. It helps speed up your metabolism, you don't get as hungry as often and it prevents binges and consuming more calories than your intention.
3. Write everything down. Writing brings about awareness and with that awareness comes permanent lifestyle changes.
4. Eliminate sugary drinks (juices, sodas, milk (except the number of recommended servings daily).
5. Find a good vitamin regimen and take them daily.
6. Continue to ask for support as needed.
7. Eat fruits before 3 pm (even though its natural sugar, it's still sugar). You have more opportunity to burn off sugar earlier in the day.
8. Add in lean protein, fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and more water.
9. Take away processed foods, sweets, white flour, fast food, and anything else that makes you feel bad.
10. I keep track of a feelings journal...I track my emotional feelings before and after every meal along with my physical feelings. Am I more achey than normal, is my heart racing, etc... It just brings about more awareness and helps you identify the things that make you feel bad.
11. Caffeine is a diuretic and for every 8 oz that you drink, you excrete 16 oz of fluids. So make sure you replace that with extra water.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to add me.0 -
TREATS:
You've been given advice to have the odd treat now and then and with that advice, I wholeheartedly agree. Life without chocolate sucks.
However, I would limit those treats to as healthy a treat as possible. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too. Here is a recipe for raw chocolate treats that will NOT cause the same crazy cravings that treats containing processed sugar and chocolate do:
12 pitted dates
2 T raw cacao powder
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup unsw. shredded coconut
1 T agave syrup or pure maple syrup
More shredded coconut for rolling balls in
Put first 5 ingredients in the food processor until they're well blended together. Roll into small balls. Roll balls into more coconut. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Enjoy 2 or 3 and put the rest back in the fridge until tomorrow.
These treats are rich and satisfying.
Raw cacao is full of antioxidants and is actually good for you. When you add dairy and processed sugar to cocoa or raw cacao [note spelling difference], they become a toxin that causes cravings. There's little difference between raw cacao powder and cocoa powder, but Raw cacao powder is slightly better for you than cocoa powder. It has more nutrients, due to the fact it has not been processed at all. Cocoa powder has been processed and sometimes heated to enhance flavour.
Hollycat:flowerforyou:0 -
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
I've received loads of feedback, some of it very good. I'm looking forward to beginning right after the holidays (for obvious reasons). I've been introduced to a lot of great resources (and people) here that I'm sure will be critical in my success this next year.
Thank you for all your beautiful support and contribution of ideas! Anything else you guys would like to add is always welcome.
-Dani0 -
I understand how hard it is being overweight. I know how hard it is to get off of a chair, rolling over in bed, getting in and out of a car, having to wear slip on shoes because I can't reach down to tie my shoes, huffing and puffing when walking more than a few feet, and all of the other problems I have 100 lbs to lose and it seems like such a big number. But I keep this in mind: being fat is hard, losing weight is hard -- choose your hard. I keep saying that to myself all day long. :flowerforyou:0
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I'm adding you. It will help to look at other peoples' diaries to get some food ideas. You have a long journey ahead of you but you CAN do it, and you made a great choice to come here. This really works! Good luck to you! 0
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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
I've received loads of feedback, some of it very good. I'm looking forward to beginning right after the holidays (for obvious reasons). I've been introduced to a lot of great resources (and people) here that I'm sure will be critical in my success this next year.
Thank you for all your beautiful support and contribution of ideas! Anything else you guys would like to add is always welcome.
-Dani
Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
I'd only like to add that it's really important to be patient and relearn how to eat and live. Make it a goal to learn proper portion sizes and how to control yourself with food. A lot of us started here with a very warped sense of what is a "reasonable" calorie intake, and it takes a long time to fix that.
This will take a long time, so don't give up on yourself if you screw up. Everyone does. What separates success from failure is whether or not you get back up and back on track when you do fall down.
Just whatever you do, don't give up on yourself. Always be willing to learn, and above all, love yourself enough to keep trying to live better.
*hugs*
Best of luck to you!0
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