MORBIDLY OBESED, SCARED, LOOKING FOR SUPPORT

dfranks43

I was almost 300 when I started my healthy journey. At first I just walked. I couldn't walk very far without getting short of breath but I perservered and stuck with it. My motivation was signing up for a 5k and my only goal was to finish. I did finish in last place but I was proud. I have since done about 10 5k's and 1 10k this past summer. I mostly walk all of them but do a little bit of jogging. I only want to beat my previous time, sometimes I do and sometimes I don't but I don't let it get me down. I have lost 50 pounds so far and still have a ways to go.
I joined a gym and try to get there at least 3-5 days a week. No one laughs at me because I am trying to do something. I have found great support there and just love the trainers they have for the classes. Zumba is my favorite but I also do a Boot Camp, A Get Ripped, Circuit classes are great because you set your level of intensity you want, pilates and yoga to increase my flexibility and I recently started a TRX class for toning. This all comes with time. Start out with one class and see how it goes. I tried step but didn't enjoy it, my knees hurt too much. You have to try to find out what it is you like.
Eating out you will gain weight because of all the sodium and fat that you can't control. Start cooking at home. Lots of chicken breasts. Use Mrs. Dash seasonings. I do make potatoes ,rice and pasta but eat it sparingly. Lots of veggies. I love lemon pepper on my veggies. Baked sweet potatoes are also good.
Another suggestion is but the Hungry Girl cookbook, I absolutely love it!
I have started getting compliments on how good I am doing and this is a good motivator. People even ask me how I am doing it and I tell them to walk, walk, walk.
Hope this helps and feel free to add me as your friend on here.

FitPhysique

Fast Food is addictive. I would say to start with small changes that way you don't get overwhelhm and feel like you are making to many changes at once. I would say start with one thing. For example, focus on one meal during the day when you will make healthy changes. And focus on that change and do it for 2 weeks or for as long as it takes to make you comfortable where it becomes second nature. i.e reduce your normal breakfast in half or if you are used to eating biscuit Sausage and cheese from McDonalds switch it to a Mcmuffin with sausage and cheese. Then later one take the cheese out or start making your own bkfst.

It may not seem much at first, but you will slowly and eventually work it to the point where you will give it up for that meal. Then focus on adding one fruit and/or veggies to that meal. Make sure it's fruit and veggies that you like. Once you have that meal down pack. You can venture to trying new things. After that, you can move on to the next meal. Go at your own pace. Don't compare yourself to anyone else and before you know it 6 months would have gone by and you'll look back with amazement on how far you have come.

Good luck and just stick with it. Don't beat yourself up if you slip back into old habits every once in a while. Just don;t let it derail the whole day or whloe week. Just get back to it the next meal. Be compassionate to yourself. You will get the hang of it all!

peacemongernc

The hardest part is starting. The first 2 weeks are really, really tough, but you can get through them!! I think my first non-scale-victory was going to the gym and not wanting to cry. It is so hard to start making those dietary changes, but pick a small change you think isn't too scary, and stick with that.

Things like drinking water or unsweetened tea instead of sweet drinks is a great first thing.

Swapping out fried foods for grilled is another good place to start.

What made a huge difference for me at first, and I didn't even know this until months later, was cutting out as many processed foods... specifically the ones with the simple refined carbs (straight sugar)... as I could bring myself to leave out. I didn't know it then, but the less simple sugars I eat, the less likely I am to lose control over them. (Today I let myself splurge and have big cupcake with icing for dessert with lunch, and I'm REALLY struggling to make good decisions... I can feel that sugar and insulin in my system. Ugh.) I didn't even cut calories at first, just tried to make slightly better choices.

Many folks don't start exercising until a while into their journey, especially if they are very large. It just seems to hard to move when you are over 300. I know. But the other change I made early was exercising. It is the other thing that accidently made a difference for me this time. Exercise also reduces cravings by making our bodies more sensitive to insulin. When I started, I couldn't even last 3 minutes on a elliptical. So I would do 2 1/2 on the elliptical, 5 or 10 slowly on the treadmill, go back for little more on the elliptical, and then maybe a few minutes on the bike. Doing a little bit of different things seemed to work better for me sense my muscles just couldn't do much at a time on one thing.

My first goals were 1) to show up for exercise, even if I only did 10 minutes, 2) to not get injured, and 3) to weigh less at the end of the year than the beginning. I did that for about 6 weeks and then I decided I was ready to make a few modifications in my diet (the ones I mentioned above).

Nothing that I did was hard, except starting and to a lesser degree, not stopping. Once you start, all you have to do is not stop!! Little changes, lots of imperfect days where you maybe eat a little bit less than you might have otherwise, and the occasional BEAST day where you do everything right and are sure you have this licked.... of course followed by the day that teaches you some humility.

But start with this mantra: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Look at restaurant menus before you go. Log your food so you can see where you are for the day. Don't leave home without healthy snacks and drinks. And these are mostly things you can figure out while sitting on your butt!

Start with that and then remember that everything that challenges us, changes us.

It starts an hour or minute at a time, then a day at a time, and then it is all about not stopping.

FitPhysique

just remember: No matter how many times you fall off the wagon, it's still a win when you get back on.

^ This. It's SO important to realize this. That's why people fail at losing weight so often...they fall off the wagon, disappoint themselves and just give up thinking they ruined everything. Falling off the wagon is almost guaranteed to happen. Continuing to get back on is what will make you successful.

^^^^Remember these Two...very important!

REDI4CHANGE60

just remember: No matter how many times you fall off the wagon, it's still a win when you get back on.

^ This. It's SO important to realize this. That's why people fail at losing weight so often...they fall off the wagon, disappoint themselves and just give up thinking they ruined everything. Falling off the wagon is almost guaranteed to happen. Continuing to get back on is what will make you successful.

This THIS lol. And add ... if you fall off the wagon, don't wait 'until tomorrow' or 'I'll start again Monday', love yourself enough to get back on the wagon the very next meal or snack. You can do alot of damage to your success and self confidence by waiting until tomorrow or 'Monday'.

kaylaknight4247

Congrats for finally deciding to make a change! It can definitely be hard at first. Since you have a real addiction to bad foods, I'd go cold turkey for a while, to re-educate yourself on how to eat the right things. Then, in time, you can add in old favorites in moderation. No matter what, just keep pushing no matter how bad you want to give up at times; it may be the hardest thing you ever do, so realize that and you can get through it.

MumOfADuo

I have not read every post but just wanted to jump in.....
Take this in BABY steps!!! Maybe try NOT eating fast food 1 day this week. I know some people will think I am a WHACK job but that is fine...I have been there. My highest weight was 283 so I 'get' it. You can do ANYTHING for 1 day....dont think of it as all or nothing right now. Also, dont look at your weight at what it is right now. Tell yourself you have 10 pounds to lose (or for me, I had to tell myself 5 lol) Once you lose 10, then tell yourself you have 10 pounds to lose. Etc etc. This is a journey, it is not going to happen overnight. Sometimes I get REALLY frustrated when I see people on here lost 80 pounds in 6 months. I try not to feel like a failure because it is taking me forever. But the realitiy is, I am doing it the best way I know how. Am I anywhere close to where I need to be? NOPE! Am I closer than where I was before?? YES!!! Am I making lifelong changes? YES. Is this EASY for me? HECK NO!!! Most likely never will be. Start slowly, and lean on US! We are here to support you. You will have people on here that MEAN well when they tell you to completely cut out all fast food and eat tofu and plain greek yogurt, but the reality is, that most likely aint gonna happen right away so do what you can...the other stuff will fall into place. Do not give food the power to be 'good' or 'bad' food. YOU get to choose what to eat...will you make choices that might not help you meet your goals? OF COURSE! But how you DEAL with those choices will determine how you will succeed (or not) on this journey. Eat it, journal it and move on.
Please feel free to friend me....You CAN do this! Getting on here asking for help is a HUGE deal!!!! Praying for you!!!
Kathey

BrendaLee

Hell yeah, it's overwhelming and probably the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life. But, at least you'll have a life if you get this under control, right? If anything was ever worth the effort, it's this. Set a small goal, and work towards to it. Then, set another one. You can do it. There are people on here who have lost hundreds of pounds, and they're just normal people who were exactly where you are. That's proof it's doable.

Relax, plan your menu in advance, work in some satisfying snacks and treats to give you something to look forward to. Food isn't worth giving up SO much for.

jcmartin0313

I was once nearly 400 pounds and could not even run up my short driveway. A few weeks ago I ran my first half marathon. I was fortunate enough to have LapBand in October of 2010 and while it has been an enormously helpful adjunct, I have some good friends who have lost as much or more than I without it. The single best piece of advice I can give you is this: Just Begin and Begin Again Each Day. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us and yesterday is a distraction. What you have or have not done in the past is completely immaterial to what is happening today. What may or may not happen tomorrow is also immaterial because tomorrow is only a hoped for thing. Each day you wake up focus on improving you mind, spirit and body. In the beginning do not make any changes. Use MFP to track your intake and output for a week or two just to get a feel for what your are doing. Once you see where you are, then begin to make small changes. Add exercise at least 3 times per week, but if you only exercise 1 day a week, that is once more than most people. Research substitutions for your favorite fast foods. You may not be able to go from a FF junkie to a clean eating machine overnight, but you certainly can eat Subway instead of McDonalds and drink water instead of Coke. Most importantly, DO NOT beat yourself up or compare yourself to anyone. This is your race alone and the rest of us are spectators regardless of where we are in our own races. You are born with unique talents and gifts we do not have and you were born to complete a journey we cannot complete. Best of luck to you!

rubberbiscuit

I find the best and most effective tool for me is logging my food everyday. I've never had success otherwise. Once you get going with that, start adding exercise. Trust me, you will start to love exercising. You can do this, even losing a little bit of weight will make a huge difference in how you feel with your energy levels and your health. I'm part way through the same journey that you're starting out on. It hasn't been easy, and there are times that I've struggled with motivation, but this has been so worth it. In less than a years time, I've gone from being full on diabetic, to just today my doctor cut my meds in half. I was high (ish) cholesterol before, and now it's well under the guidelines. Good luck, and if you need a friend I am more than willing to help.

slimmingteacher

hun its never too late to make a good change in ur life! you can do it!

Try this link hun: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1267356/The-Dukan-Diet-Put-fat-cells-revolutionary-weight-loss-plan.html

if followed strictly you can lose about 10-15 pounds in the first week!

hope it helps! x

nczuczu

Congratulations for coming to MFP and asking for help. That is a huge step!!! There are so many people that have lost a lot of weight using MFP as a tool. You can search the success stories and learn so much from them. I am just starting out and don't have as much to lose, but I too have learned a lot.

http://www.300poundsdown.com/ Check out this blog. She was 417 Lbs (I believe) when she started. She has lost 222 and is very candid about her successes and struggles. In her post today, she mentions how when she started she could only walk down the hallway and pushed herself to continue walking and get more and more steps in. She has done her first 5k.

It will take more than good luck on this journey. I wish you strength and willpower. You can do this. You just have to make the decision to stick to it and then do it.

rrumbolt

good for you for getting started.. it takes a lot of will power to say i can do this. you have to believe you can and you will succeed in your journey. when i first started i purchased a food scale.. and a measuring cup.. i measured all i ate and weighted all my meat even my can tuna in water. i also ate tortilla wraps even two if i was still hungry and lots and lots of salad without dressing. i had a treat every now and then, but not too often, as it holds alot of fat.. feel free to add me and i give you help when you need it.. congrats to you...to keep the hunger down and shrink your belly drink lots and lots of water.

GrannyGwen1

COME JOIN MY MFP FAMILY OF FRIENDS,.. LOTS OF SUPPORT AND IDEAS ...CHECK OUT MY FRIENDS LIST AND BEFRIEND THEM I HAVE THE BEST SUPPORT TEAM , AND THEY WILL EMBRACE YOU TOO... SOME HAVE MORE TO LOSE THEN OTHERS TELL YOUR STORY WERE ALL HERE TO HELP

THE FIRST THING I DID WAS CLEAN OUT MY CABINETS AND REFRIGERATOR. GOT RID OF MOST OF THE PKG ITEMS,OUT OF SITE OUT OF MINE OR AT LEASE UNATTAINABLE AT THE MOMENT A CRAVING HITS. ( I HAD TO DO THIS THREE TIMES) STARTED EATING LOTS OF VEGGIES, AND A COUPLE OF FRUITS A DAY (APPLES PEARS AND BERRIES ARE BEST, FOR FIBER) , SOUPS ARE GREAT (NOT CREAMED ONE'S,(I LEFT OUT THE PASTAS AND POTATOES AND STARCHY VEGGIES, CORN, PEAS, LIMITED MY CARROTS) LIEN MEATS MOSTLY TURKEY AND CHICKEN AND FISH (3-4 OZS.)

ITS AMAZING HOW MUCH YOU CAN EAT WHEN YOU EAT RIGHT.GREEN SMOOTHIES ARE GREAT ADD A LITTLE PROTEIN, FRUIT SMOOTHIES ARE TOO BUT YOU NEED TO LIMIT THEM I THROW SOME BERRIES AND A DROP OR TWO OF STEVEA IN MY BULLET AND I HAVE A WONDERFUL DESERT.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF RECIPES THAT HELP JUMP START YOUR WEIGHT LOST.

MY BIGGIE AND STILL IS THAT I WASNT EATING DURING THE DAY AND ATE MOST OF MY CALORIES AT NIGHT , THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HAVE BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR ME . NOW I TRY TO EAT 6 MINI MEALS A DAY THAT HELPS WITH THE MUNCHES.

THE WORSE THING FOR ME WAS I WAS A PEPSI - HOLIC FOR 40 YRS, I GAVE THEM UP IN DECEMBER AND FEEL SO MUCH BETTER . I WILL HAVE PART OF ONE WHEN I GO OUT ONCE IN A WHILE BUT NOT OFTEN.

I NOW EAT ORGANIC CLEAN, RAW 70-80 % OF THE TIME AND DETOX ON A REG BASES, NO SALT, WHITES,SUGARS BREADS , PASTA OR STARCHES IVE LOST 22.3# SENCE THE NEW YEAR SOMETIMES I HIT A STALL FOR A FEW DAYS (LIKE NOW) OR IF HAVE A TREAT MEAL ONCE IN A WHILE AND HAVE TO WORK IT BACK OFF , I HATE TO SEE MY TICKER GO BACKWARDS.


THE OTHER THING I MAKE SURE I DO IT TO LOG EVERY BITE I TAKE , IT KEEPS ME ACCOUNTABLE TO MYSELF, IM ALWAYS SURPRIZED WHEN I HAVE A CHEAT DAY AND SEE HOW MUCH I USE TO EAT ON A DAILY BASES.

PLEASE FRIEND ME AND WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER

PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS COMING YOUR WAY.

GG

ChristieisReady

Welcome! And congratulations on taking the first, scary step of reaching out for help! You CAN do this, but like any change, you have to take is one day at a time, one meal at a time. Don't focus on NEVER eating fast food, just work on not having it TODAY. You can work on tomorrow, tomorrow. I'm up to planning my breakfast & dinner a weeks at a time, now, but it took me 2 years to do that. You CAN do this, you just have to remember that food is fuel, not comfort. I believe in you!

Adriennerp720

Welcome!! I am new to My Fitness Pal as well!! I started my journey on 1-7-2013! I know this can all seem overwhelming at first!! The thing is, we didnt gain all of this weight at once...we're not going to lose it all at once!! Take baby steps! If fast food is your greatest weekness...try taking a different route home, or make sure you're eating something healthy when you pass by...like an apple & a bottle of water. Also set weekly goals for yourself....as the onld saying goes..."How do you eat an elephant? answer: One bite at a time" Baby steps!!!

Tdavy814

im in the same boat... im 29 and 270 pounds...

Candacecooler

It won't be easy, but you'll get the hang of it. Measure at home and you will be able to tell when you're out about the size of a portion. I like MFP although I now have to stick to my portions no cheating.

Good luck and log in people here are really supportive.

TeriLynnSpano

WE can do this! I study other peoples food diaries to get ideas. I cant tell what my body needs just by eating...I have to keep my food diary! This has changed my life! We can be friends, add me!

Candacecooler

Excellent Post! Just work on Today..