Overweight Mom--350 lbs I need help

sweettarra

Thanks for reading this! I joined MFP a while back but I didn't really understand it but now I am quite interested in learning about it because I want to lose weight. I have been over weight since I was in my early twenties and I'm now 42 years old. It's time to lose weight. I bought a treadmill this year but I have no clue how many minutes I should be walking every day. As of this week, I have started walking 30 minutes everyday. I was walking 10 minutes to 20 minutes a couple times a week but not anymore. I am challenging myself to walk a mile on my treadmill each day. Do you think I'll lose weight?
I've also tried changing my eating habits. I now eat salad (no tomatoes though). I have cut out soda completely, I don't drink or smoke. I am a very picky eater. I love fried foods.....I'm from Louisiana and we fry anything. I have stopped cooking fried foods though. I've even stopped eating so much red meat. My husband and I are eating a lot more chicken dishes. Should I stay away from pork dishes though? I have no idea what I'm doing, as you can probably tell. Any help would be appreciated.

beautifulmess87

Trying to stay away from over processed food filled with sugar is a good place to start. I myself dont believe that there are any bad foods and allow myself to eat anythign that i want. the key is to do so in moderation. a lot of us dont know how many calories we are actually intaking until we start logging.
Im not a nutritionist or anything, i just know counting the calories and watching your macros works!
excersise of any form is a good place to start!
feel free to add me

squirrelzzrule22

Why no tomatoes?

kristina1709

Any movement is better than no movement at all. I think that you are doing great right now. I eat chicken regularly. I also eat pork regularly, however, I only buy lean pork. Pork Tenderloin and the boneless loin chops is what I usually eat. You can eat whatever you want, in moderation. I bake everything.

I think you will find that what you are doing is working. Just keep at it.

breajohnson

Hello! I also count calories and try eating healthier. I eat alot of raw veggies and mostly grilled chicken and fish. I just started MFP in January and need to lose about 100 lbs. please feel free to add me.

robot_potato

Just remember that any change you make needs to be one you can stick to for life, otherwise it's very hard to stick with. I still have the 'bad' foods, just less of them. You don't have to eat things you don't enjoy, but it is good to try new things. A food scale is a great investment, along with measuring utensils. Good luck!

suumoner

Sounds like you're doing things in the right way. I feel that with the exercise and good eating it just needs to be done in moderation. Feel free to add me as a friend for support.

KenosFeoh

You didn't say anything about logging your calories to see how much you are eating, so I recommend that you do that. Exercise is very important, but as far as weight loss goes - it comes down to calories. Diet is 80% of the equation. You can use the MFP settings for your first calorie goal or go over to fat2fitradio.com and use their calculators to personalize your goals.

Welcome. I was about to say good luck, but it isn't about luck, it's about effort and persistence.

XXbrendaXX

Hi Tarra. I am 43 yrs old and started 8 mo. ago at 320 lbs. Today I weigh 218. It can be done! Counting calories using this site has really worked for me. You can do this!!

NewMnky1

I am living proof that you do not need to give up the things you love in order to lose weight. I am also living proof that you do not need to eat salad in order to lose weight. In the past year I have probably had 4 salads, I am not a salad lover at all, but they are safe bet if you have to eat out.

You can eat the things you love, you just eat less and make them differently. Instead of going out for nachos I make my own, same goes for pizza, french fries etc.

Having said that you must allow yourself treats and eating out, otherwise you will tend to fall of your path.
As for exercise, start slow and work your way up, if you start off trying to do a mile and it is too much you are setting yourself up to fail. I started walking and little by little increased it, your body will tell you when you need to move more.

And last, willpower it what you really need, if you have that you can do this.

RunForChai

Good start. In terms of the treadmill---you can walk slowly until you are used doing it. Then gradually up your speed and tilt. If you increase your time on the treadmill just by 5 minutes a couple days a week you will see a difference. Also pool walking [wear a water vest and "walk" in the deep water] is a very good, low-impact exercise.

Good luck!

phy40

First of all, you ARE NOT along! Everyone on this site is here for some reason. I suggest you workout or walk at least 30 minutes a day. When, I first started this journey, I would workout for 15 minutes twice a day. Evenually, you will have energy to do more. Hungry Girl is a good book for recipes. Keep logging, this will provide motivation and ideas for your weight journey. Best wishes!

Dulcefresh

In the beginning of my weight loss journey. I cut all sugar out , no red meat... only fish and chicken ... mostly everything broiled, boiled, baked or grilled... I did that because I want to make sure that the cravings would go away. Before hubby and I would eat out all the time ontop of eating cakes , fried foods, lots of soda to the point where i would get a uti from not drinking water... now after almost 3 months. we have red meat everyonce in awhile and treats in moderation.... I started by walking then as the my body was stronger i was exercising more. Feel free to add me anyone...

kentermom4

Hi
I just started too ! I started by getting rid of some of the junk and replacing it with healthy choices over several months. Exercise the same thing-started slowly and added more as I felt better. It is hard but it is worth it. Putting my food on this site every day really helps put things in perspective. You can add me if you like. I have good days and bad days and I journal every day to stop the emotional eating. Everything in moderation !!

Fat2wannabFit

First of all I am not a fitness expert. I just started MFP a few days ago, and talking and hearing from others about fitness, its what your body can handle and not over doing it at first. If only starting out with 30 min of your tread mill is fine, you will gradually work your body up to doing more. If you start out hard you will eventually wear yourself out and then may start doing less. Walking is a good cardio, I would start on the treadmill or outside, and set a time for 10 min and see how far you walk and keep track. The next time do another 10 and try to go a little further and just keep working yourself til your comfortable doing a mile or two or even three. It's gonna take time, but if you put your heart and soul into it you will achieve your goals you set. There is a lot of support on this site and you can ask for it anytime. I wish you the best in your success for a new and healthier life. You may add me if you like. Good luck and happy fitness.

ChangingAmanda

First off it's wonderful you and your husband are making this commitment together. I would encourage y'all to include your children in your healthier choices as well.

I'm with the "everything in moderation" camp when it comes to food. Other than sodas which I've stopped drinking completely, I eat everything, good/bad/ugly, but just watch the portion sizes through weighing, measuring and counting. If I don't have enough calories for a bowl of icecream, I'll have a couple cookies instead. I have a huge sweet tooth. I do stay away from 'trigger" foods and foods that I know are difficult for me to eat just a serving of - oh Krispy Kreme how I miss you.

Here's a great thread with lots of explaination and resources to help calculate what you should be eating calorie wise: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0 It's been very helpful.

As for exercise - do what you can, push yourself, but not so much that you seriously hurt yourself. I encourage you to look into weight training as well. Cardio is great for heart heath and burning calories, but weight training will help you maintain lean muscle mass while you're losing weight. Body weight exercises (situps, pushups, lunges, squats, planks) are a very easy at home way to include strength training into your day. I've even heard of folks creating a "commercial game". Each time a different type of commercial comes on TV, they do a certain exercise for the length of the commercial.

Lastly, while numbers on the scale are a way to track weight loss progress, sometimes our body does some wild and crazy things and the scale can be wacky. Use the scale as a tool but incorporate pictures, measurements, how your clothes feel & look on you. I've had several weeks where the scale either went up, didn't move, or barely moved, but my clothes fit better or looser than the week or two before.

I wish you the best on this journey!

rainbowbow

Thanks for reading this! I joined MFP a while back but I didn't really understand it but now I am quite interested in learning about it because I want to lose weight. I have been over weight since I was in my early twenties and I'm now 42 years old. It's time to lose weight. I bought a treadmill this year but I have no clue how many minutes I should be walking every day. As of this week, I have started walking 30 minutes everyday. I was walking 10 minutes to 20 minutes a couple times a week but not anymore. I am challenging myself to walk a mile on my treadmill each day. Do you think I'll lose weight?
I've also tried changing my eating habits. I now eat salad (no tomatoes though). I have cut out soda completely, I don't drink or smoke. I am a very picky eater. I love fried foods.....I'm from Louisiana and we fry anything. I have stopped cooking fried foods though. I've even stopped eating so much red meat. My husband and I are eating a lot more chicken dishes. Should I stay away from pork dishes though? I have no idea what I'm doing, as you can probably tell. Any help would be appreciated.

Wow... alot of questions in this post. I'll try and hit them all-

I bought a treadmill this year but I have no clue how many minutes I should be walking every day. As of this week, I have started walking 30 minutes everyday. I was walking 10 minutes to 20 minutes a couple times a week but not anymore. I am challenging myself to walk a mile on my treadmill each day. Do you think I'll lose weight?

By walking only? No. Probably not. Studies have shown that you cannot out-exercise a poor diet. Assuming you are hitting your calorie goal consistently i would walk as much as i see fit.

I've also tried changing my eating habits. I now eat salad (no tomatoes though). I have cut out soda completely, I don't drink or smoke. I am a very picky eater. I love fried foods.....I'm from Louisiana and we fry anything. I have stopped cooking fried foods though. I've even stopped eating so much red meat. My husband and I are eating a lot more chicken dishes. Should I stay away from pork dishes though?

This makes no difference. You like fried foods? Good, eat them. So long as you fit them in your calorie goal (and by that i mean you will eventually learn that you can have a few peices of fried chicken or an entire meal for the same calories). Make small changes.

Essentially the most important thing is to make sure you are hitting your calorie goal. Period. Consistently. You can fill it with a small amount of fried foods and go hungry, or you can fill it with lower calorie veggies, fruits, lean meats and be full. Your choice. Seriously.

I think you may be overthinking things here initially. Focus on your calories and then once you get that down, focus on the nutrition.

Brownsbacker4evr

I was at 354 at my highest. I understand the struggle, but I've lost the weight before and am now doing it again. Feel free to add me anyone

bethygirlie

Like some of the above posters have said, everything in moderation. Don't completely cut out things you love or you'll be more likely to rebound. And just take it one pound at a time. Believe me. If I would have started out saying "I need to lose 270 pounds" I would have given up after the first 10. I never looked at the mountain ahead. I only looked at where I was at the moment.

charlesnapolitano

i need to lose 170lbs myself please add me we can support each other

munsterisque

I think the #1 factor in successful weight loss, is consistency.

So even if you have to cut back the hours of exercise, it's better to just get out there and do it.

For example, 10 minutes of walking everyday for a year, is much better then an aerobics program, that you drop in 3 monthes.

samanthalynn86

If you have Netflix check out the movies "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and "Forks Over Knives". They are really good at explaining what foods do what to your body and why. Other motivating and educating movies I have seen are "Vegucated" and "Foodmatters."

blackwidowdancer82

I highly recommend reading "Living Paleo" for Dummies. It has dramatically improved my health and I continue to lose weight naturally. It's a whole foods based approach to diet, living like our caveman ancestors. It may seem extreme at first but then once you see how good you feel, start losing weight, and feel better you want to make the change to a Paleo diet. I still have some of my favorite (less nutritious) foods every once in a while, but my main focus is on feeding my body nutritious and delicious foods (proteins, vegetables, fruits, some nuts, some healthy fats.) I recommend really listening to your body and how you feel after you eat certain foods. I feel better eating some healthy foods than other healthy foods. Feel free to add me as a friend! And I wish you continued success!!!

Alissakae

It sounds like you are off to a great start! Keep doing whatever activity to you can - I would recommend also walking outside whenever possible because it's a lot more fun than indoors on the treadmill. Counting calories is a huge key to success as well.

hfester

Hi! My two cents is to take in what you read on this site a bit at a time. It can all be overwhelming. The basic key to weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume in a day. There are calculators you can use which will tell you how many calories to eat a day in order to lose weight. Best wishes to you! You're in the right place!

DeeBrownBaker

my highest weight was 375 so please know that you aren't alone in the struggle to lose... especially in your 40's. I started on my journey last year... discovered MFP in January. Its been a blessing and a wonderful tool to help track what I put in my mouth...

I have arthritis and bursitis so exercise has been a struggle... but one worth doing. I swam during the summer... walk at least 30 min a day... dance with my kid in the evening for about 15 or 20 min. I move!

My advice is that you move as much as you can for as long as you can. You will feel better and gain energy! Also count calories... track everything you eat...even the bad stuff... seeing the caloric intake helped me make some conscious choices and made a difference in my diet (not as in plan but way of eating).

At this point I weigh 271.8 and I still have a long way to go.... by the grace of God, I will do it. WE will lose this weight!

Rose_bee

Measure (weigh everything solid, use measuring cups just for liquids) all your food. Especially at first this is important to help you learn what one serving really is.

kimberly2664

You can so do this!!!! Logging in has really helped me. I couldnt believe how much I was eating before I changed my ways!!! Personally I dont count calories I count Carbs and Fats. Im allowing myself 75g of Carbs a day and 20g of Fats a day. Doesnt seem like a lot but it is plenty. I am never hungry and I drink a lot of water. I am a diabetic and I am feeling so much better. I dont even think of my new way of eating as a diet. I still have the things I like its just a matter of regulating yourself its like a savings accout. I wont eat as many carbs and fats during the day so I can have what I want later and I allow myself probably half of what I would have normally eaten. Im not going to say its easy there are days when I go over but I just start all over again the next day. Walking is great exersise! and doing 30 mins is great! inclining your treadmill and working to a goal of walking a mile in that 30 mins would be awesome!! If your not sure about what kind of foods to eat add friends add me and you can look at their foods and get ideas. I work in the healthcare field and it has really opened my eyes to keeping and staying healthy because if you dont have your health you have nothing!!!

Kimberly

nxd10

You can absolutely do this. I'm older than you and lost 35 pounds. My younger sister just lost 80. Lots of people have lost more. You want to do this now for your kids and because you will feel SO MUCH BETTER when you do. The hardest thing is starting.

Do something simple. Just log all your food. Go to My Home and click on GOALS. Put in your current weight and how much you want to lose (1 pound is recommended, but at your weight you can probably start with 1.5 or 2).

Then write down all the food you eat every single day. Just start with where you are now - with all that delicious Louisiana fried food. See how what you eat compares to what MFP says you're supposed to be eating to lose weight. Do that a few days.

Then look through your food diary and look for things with the most calories you won't miss. For me, it was dropping down from two slices of toast to one and changing from bread to tortillas. For you it might be something else.

I kept my ice cream, but went from a bowl of it to a quarter cup.

Start with that and keep logging and keep looking at your diary and sticking with it. You absolutely can do it and you can probably do it and eat food you love.

susandm

I am right there with you. I am 41 years old, and I am guessing my weight to be somewhere around 280-300. I had lost all my weight before (140 lbs to be exact), but have since gained it all back. No matter what you do, it has got to be life changing. It is such a slippery slope when you start allowing the old habits to creep back in. This time, I am not cutting out all the "bad" foods. I don't allow myself to have it whenever I want though either. If you have never had a weight problem, it is easy to say "I eat whatever I want...just in moderation." If you have a weight problem, eating "trigger" foods is a problem, because like an alcoholic with "just one glass of wine"...there is no moderation! So, I don't keep trigger foods in the house. And, when it comes to the little snacks that I keep around for when I HAVE to have something, and the gum just isn't cutting it, I have already pre-measured it out into the little "snack size" Ziploc baggies. I have learned from my previous weight loss and then regaining it back that to deny yourself of EVERYTHING causes horrible relapses. So, know your trigger foods to stay away from and do not keep those in the house. Find the foods you really enjoy, and try to revamp them in a healthier light. With Pinterest and everything else out there, there are thousands of places to search how to make your favorite meals...just healthier! Water is key. Drink lots and lots of water! (Trust me on this one!!!) As far as the exercising goes, that will come with time. When you are at this weight, just do what you can. Park at the end of the parking lots when going to the grocery store, leisurely walk around the mall, etc. As you lost the weight, you will feel much more like doing more. The most important thing is to not beat yourself up. If you "slip"...see it as just that...a slip up and move on. Don't let it beat you down. Again, having lost the weight before, I know that this is mostly a mental game! The physical part of this...the eating healthier and the walking (or what ever) comes pretty quickly, but over time, it is the mental part of this that is the toughest part to beat. That is why accountability helps so much. I have several friends on here that help me out there. Having a cheering section really helps keep you going. If you know there are people "watching"...cheating is much harder! LOL! Anyway, I hope this helps (even a little)!!! Good luck...God bless!

dbrightwell1270

I'm not much of the rah rah type for support but I keep my diary open to my friends. You (or anyone else) can add me if you like. Some days i do well, other days I do not. You'll find frozen fruit bars, ice cream, cookies, fudge or any variety of other things not generally associated with a diet listed in my diary. I weigh right at 300 right now. I was at 380 when I started MFP and was about 465 (as a guess) when I decided I needed to do something about it.