Woke up fat!

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yamsteroo
yamsteroo Posts: 480 Member
in Introduce Yourself
:noway: For 35yrs i was slim - super-slim at times and it didn't even take any effort.

Just came back from a week's break and realised I didn't wear most of the clothes I took as when I tried them on, they didn't fit anymore - it's like a i woke up fat!

The honest answer is that over the last 7years my weight has crept up. And up. And yep, up another bit. Instead of weighing 119-126lb with no effort, I'm now right up there at 182lb. The worst bit is it's all sitting around my middle so I know I need to get rid of it safely and permanently before it does me a lot of damage. Apart from the health aspect, I don't like how I look now (a bubble on legs) and if I'm honest, I haven't felt comfortable being this fat for quite a while - 5yrs at least and I was about 150lb back then!

So i'm starting today. My husband is backing me, which is good (to be honest he needs to lose maybe 14lbs but he's a lot more active than me) and rather than guessing the portion size, the kitchen scales have been dusted off and will live on the worktop counter from now on (portion control is probably my biggest problem ... and cake).

I'm hoping to find some tips on here and a good kick up the *kitten* if I start to slack :)

Replies

  • poma91
    poma91 Posts: 181 Member
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    My story is similar, so I totally understand!

    Well it is great that you have decided to make a change. The beginning is always hard but that's why you have the MFP community. Here people are really supportive and will help to keep you on track.

    So good luck and feel free to add me! :)
  • khall86790
    khall86790 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    The best tips I have;

    1. Try to cut out pasta, it really isn't going to do you any favours when it comes to weight loss. If you do have to eat it, make it whole wheat pasta. The same goes for rice, go for brown rice.
    2. Cut out desert! I went years without ever eating desert and I couldn't have cared less about it, but as soon as I started eating to odd yoghurt/snack after dinner it became a habit and I had to make myself stop when I began my weight loss journey. It's something you really do not need in your diet and doesn't do you any good.
    3. Stop driving and start walking wherever possible. If your friend lives 5-10 minutes drive away, take the 30 minute walk to their house instead. Because then after walking home too you will have walked 60 minutes and that burns roughly 220 calories, that's half a meals worth of calories burned off without even breaking a sweat!
    4. Start exercising. I would start small and aim for big so begin by doing just 15-20 minutes of exercise a day and gradually up the time you are exercising for as your body gets comfortable. There are plenty of home exercise DVDs that start as low as 10 minutes long and go up to 90 minutes long, if you want more information on this PM me and I will send you some recommendations.
    5. If you drink, watch your alcohol intake and food consumption afterwards. It's easy to forget there is calories in alcohol whilst drinking and if you then eat at the end of the evening it will most likely be something greasy and high in fat, so it's best to eliminate that entirely and try to work your alcohol consumption into your daily allowance for calories.
    6. Make friends on here and check out their food diaries if they are open, it gives you a good idea of what to aim towards.

    I hope some of this helps, if you want to know more you can always message me :)
  • sandyinsc
    sandyinsc Posts: 70 Member
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    Girl, I SO hear you! Your story could have been me talking, I went to the doctor and stepped on the scale and wondered where the fat lady came from. I didn't even OWN a scale because I never had to worry ... but last year, I decided to eat smart, move more, and this year ... I"m where I wanna be. Good for you for starting the journey to a healthy lifestyle ... because that's what it is. You're not on a diet, you're changing your lifestyle, and you'll be glad you did!
  • allie_rat
    allie_rat Posts: 49 Member
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    The best tips I have;

    1. Try to cut out pasta, it really isn't going to do you any favours when it comes to weight loss. If you do have to eat it, make it whole wheat pasta. The same goes for rice, go for brown rice.
    2. Cut out desert! I went years without ever eating desert and I couldn't have cared less about it, but as soon as I started eating to odd yoghurt/snack after dinner it became a habit and I had to make myself stop when I began my weight loss journey. It's something you really do not need in your diet and doesn't do you any good.
    3. Stop driving and start walking wherever possible. If your friend lives 5-10 minutes drive away, take the 30 minute walk to their house instead. Because then after walking home too you will have walked 60 minutes and that burns roughly 220 calories, that's half a meals worth of calories burned off without even breaking a sweat!
    4. Start exercising. I would start small and aim for big so begin by doing just 15-20 minutes of exercise a day and gradually up the time you are exercising for as your body gets comfortable. There are plenty of home exercise DVDs that start as low as 10 minutes long and go up to 90 minutes long, if you want more information on this PM me and I will send you some recommendations.
    5. If you drink, watch your alcohol intake and food consumption afterwards. It's easy to forget there is calories in alcohol whilst drinking and if you then eat at the end of the evening it will most likely be something greasy and high in fat, so it's best to eliminate that entirely and try to work your alcohol consumption into your daily allowance for calories.
    6. Make friends on here and check out their food diaries if they are open, it gives you a good idea of what to aim towards.

    I hope some of this helps, if you want to know more you can always message me :)

    I agree with a lot of what you said other than desert. Knowing that I can still have nice things within my calorie allowance helps me a lot, if I had to cut out all dessert type things I'd be pretty miserable!

    OP, I feel a bit like I woke up fat one day too. For years I was a size 8-10 and then a 12 and then I got to the point where I could barely fit into 14's any more when in my head I was still about a 10! Good luck with loosing the weight :smile:
  • emmaemily68
    emmaemily68 Posts: 3
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    I didn't just wake up fat, I went to bed fat too! lol
    I did this for the last goodness knows how many years but no more. I'm the biggest now that I'll ever be again because this time I'm going to do it, finally and for good.
    I'm going to throw out clothes as soon as they start getting baggy because I'll never 'grow' back into them.
    I'm going to stop being behind the camera in all the family photos.
    I'm walking everwhere I can instead of driving.
    I'm weighing and writing down everything that passes my lips.
    Oh....... and this morning I reached an itch on my back I'd never have reached before lol
    little things.....:smile:

    Good luck on your journey. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want to.
  • Catlady87
    Catlady87 Posts: 302 Member
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    Well done for taking the first step!
    For me I find that I can have what I want as long as it fits into my calorie allowance. After a while though my cravings for the unhealthy stuff just kind of went away because I realised that they weren't actually as satisfying as I thought they used to be.

    I've cut out alcohol almost completely but that's because I've recently increased my antidepressants and found that alcohol can adversely affect my mood. But before that - if it fit into my allowance I would have a glass of wine or pint of beer.

    Portion control is a must. 50g of dry rice is a portion. Same for pasta but I do t eat a lot of that.
    Use a smaller plate or a bowl so it looks like you've got more food.

    Exercise - even if its just going for a walk into town and back, or around the neighbourhood.

    Hope this helps and good luck!
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
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    We can be our own worst enemy at times, can't we??

    I don't believe in the words: "I can't have x anymore, ever again, because it makes me fat!" I believe in moderation in everything I eat. I love bacon, but I stop at 3 slices. I love chocolate, but I stop after a small piece. I enjoy every second of what I know I can't eat a lot of -- because it's the taste I'm going for, not the quantity.

    Now with that said, I have eliminated gluten and most grains from my diet. I dropped a lot of weight just by doing that (because most of the foods that contain gluten are also high carb foods). I am off gluten for health reasons tho -- not dietary reasons. My situation is different there when it comes to food "I shouldn't ever eat again".

    Just eat smaller amounts of your "forbidden fruit", and be honest when you log it. You can have the best of both worlds that way. Trust me, it works.

    Feel free to add me.
  • fit4life626
    fit4life626 Posts: 17 Member
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    Hahahaha. First off, you are HILARIOUS! Love your sense of humor. Playful..how refreshing to find on this website! Oh how we all wish we could wake up fat only to realize it was a nightmare and wake up skinny..sigh..Oh well..back to reality!! I love your honesty and if you need a friend, count me in!! It's hard getting back to what you once were and it takes time..a personal trainer told me it takes twice as long to lose what you gained. I put on ~40 pounds in about 6 months and it took me a year to lose the first 30..so its kinda true, I guess. Good luck and Ill be here for the slap on the back for "hooray, atta girl" and here for the butt whoopin' (spelling?!?!) too! haha
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
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    Start by doing the Jillian Michaels Shred video-you can find it on youtube for free. It is all right if you can not do it at first because it seems difficult. You can use cans or water bottles for weights. It will give you a psychological boost. Walk as much as you can everywhere. Do not cut your calories to 1200 by putting that you want to lose 2lb a week. You will starve and sedentary is when you are in bed not doing anything, not a desk job or limited activities. Start with realistic goals for the two of you and do not try to overdo it from the beginning. Cut sodas!
  • yamsteroo
    yamsteroo Posts: 480 Member
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    Wow! thanks for all the replies - it's certainly refreshing to hear people talking honestly about weight rather than fibbing about how much they weigh or avoiding the elephant in the room (that'll be me!).

    So much good advice already and I'll be sure to keep popping back in to pick up more tips and eventually, when I start to lose the lbs I'll hopefully have some words of wisdom for other newbies :)

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