This is my last chance

EthanB93
EthanB93 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hey everyone,

I've been around these parts before, and I have failed. I have failed doing this over and over again. I have reached the point where too much of my income is going to pay for food that's killing me and new clothes to fit my expanding waistline. I'm done. My parents are disappointed and scared, my friends treat me differently, and my relationships have not been fulfilling.

I would really like support in my venture to go from 290 pounds, to ~200 over the next many months. I have tried and failed before, but I want to succeed this time.

Any tips or words would be much appreciated.

All the best,
Ethan
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Replies

  • friscoaries
    friscoaries Posts: 4
    Ethan,

    I am right there with you. It is hard but, it can be done. I am a mother of 3 and in living a very unhealthy lifestyle I am not only hurting myself but my children as well. So, I am going to do my best to stick to it and set a good example for my family. I am 32 years old but feel 60. So, today is as good as any.

    Baby steps are always a good start and always remember every little bit counts and every positive thought can or will result in something positive.

    I am here for you!!!

    YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

    Nice to meet you,

    Zoraya aka (friscoaries)
  • sicilysclover
    sicilysclover Posts: 173 Member
    Don't look at it as failing that's too negative! You've had set backs and now you're back on track again. I'm with you - it was either buy new clothes or lose weight and fit into my wardrobe. Good luck! Be positive.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Welcome to MFP! You can do this - be sure to check out the link above - best explanation of how to set yourself up for success!
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
    You can do this! Start small and work your way toward a healthier lifestyle each day. First, make a pledge to yourself to log everything you eat each and every day. Remember that every bite is a decision. Is the bad food really worth it, or can you find something you like that's healthier to eat instead? Use some of the money your spending on unhealthy food and new clothes to allow yourself to indulge in better food - high quality cuts of meat, 93% lean hamburger, blueberries off season. Find something you like that you can keep on hand so that if you're hungry in between meals, you can have a little something to get you through. Don't starve yourself as that will set anyone up to fail. And, if you have an off day, stop indulging as soon as you can and remember that tomorrow is another day. We're only human and one day of screwing up does not make us failures. We're only failures if we give up because of one day. And, ask people for suggestions as often as you need. This isn't the fastest journey, but the end result is definitely worth it!
  • dcaf1962
    dcaf1962 Posts: 16
    Hi Ethan:
    You can do this. This site will help count every calorie you put in your mount, and count every calorie you burn from exercise which will save you a lot of tedious time and research. The site will also tell you how many calories you need a day. Make sure you have a phone with internet capabilities, so you can document you calories even when on the road. It really works. I treat my calories as money, and when I get low on calories I just make more by exercising and you get you "eat back" whatever you make "exercise" a day. It will work, you will see. If you have questions regarding what exercises work, and what food to eat, feel free to write, and I will answer. Good Luck
  • jerbear1962
    jerbear1962 Posts: 1,157 Member
    Ethan,
    You took an important step with joining this site and asking for support, we're here for you. Many of us here have failed many times, heck I've been fat since I left high school and I turned 50 this year. I'm on the right path, I have decided enough is enough I can do this and so can you. Add me as a friend feel free to send me messages for help, keep in touch we can lose together...Jerry
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    308 to 205. I, for one, have your back.
  • mbvaldivia30
    mbvaldivia30 Posts: 25
    You can do this! Mfp has tools to help you. Leslie sansone DVDs are great for beginners. They're walking videos if you can walk with her DVDs I guarantee you will feel more confident and you'll have the want to walk more. The more you walk the less of an appetite you will have. I'm not a normal dieter however I am learning to change what I eat but I don't deprive myself of treat I just eat less calories at future meals *. I say if you're craving a hamburger then eat a junior cheeseburger then the next mail just trying to eat a little healthier and watch your calories at the next meal. It sounds like to me that you really want to lose weight and I'm sure you can give yourself credit and give my Fitness Pal a chance. I'm looking forward to seeing you reach your goal
  • lewisshepherd
    lewisshepherd Posts: 1 Member
    Ethan- Welcome and best of luck. I was in the same boat four months ago (seems like yesterday!) and have found the MFP logging approach to be fantastically helpful for me. I use the barcode scanner on my phone a lot and also now have a Fitbit device to measure my steps and calories _and by golly this new approach has really transformed my motivation and way of thinking. I am astonished that it is working. I have gone from 206 to 178 in just 3 1/2 months, that may not be as fast as some people but good grief, that's 15% of my body weight lost in a pretty quick span! And I feel ten times better about myself. Best of luck man, you can do it.
  • smoore0411
    smoore0411 Posts: 20 Member
    Welcome! You'll get plenty of tips and support on MFP. Remember it's not a sprint to the finish. Develop good habits and if you don't know, just ask! Happy to support your journey.
  • hula808
    hula808 Posts: 172 Member
    Not your last chance.
    You have a new chance every day.
    Add me. I'll help keep your *kitten* in line ; )
    I had 90lbs to lose too...now more like 65.
  • neveradullmoment
    neveradullmoment Posts: 90
    Ethan,

    Welcome to MFP! The support that you can find here is incredible!
    You have a long road ahead of you but you CAN do it! You can get all of the support that you want and need on MFP, you don't have to do this alone we are ALL here to help you get through this!
    You will have bad days as we all do but you will learn that you need to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and get back on track. Just give yourself small achievable goals to reach, setting to big of a goal will just set yourself up for failure, baby steps is what you need to do.

    Feel free to add me if you want, I am here for you if you want the support!

    Karen
  • chicadejmu
    chicadejmu Posts: 171 Member
    Can I recommend considering clean eating and purchasing a fitbit? I LOVE my fitbit. It inspires me to get up and move every day. There are goals on the site (10,000 steps, 5 mi, climb 10 flights of stairs, activity levels, calories burned). It's very satisfying to meet these goals each day. But it is pricey - you can get it on amazon.com for just over $90 - IMO if it is the thing that pushes you to success, it's money well spent.

    And there is a clean eating group on MFP but basically the idea is to cut out processed food and try to eat food as close to nature as possible. It's easier for your body to process natural foods than the ones that contain a lot of chemicals, dyes and additives.

    Feel free to add me as a friend. Good luck on your journey. You can do it this time!
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    This isn't your last chance, but it IS your best chance to lose weight & get healthy ...... here are some tips I've gotten from the members:

    Don't focus on weight loss, focus on healthy eating & fitness ..... the weight will come off.
    .
    Baby steps work ..... be consistent ..... develop new habits.

    Look forward to your new food choices - don't see them as a punishment.

    Focus on your successes, not failures.

    Eat the food needed, in the amounts needed, to get the results desired.

    Bring the most focus to your workout on any given day.

    Learn from your results, positive or negative ..... and be patient !

    Rest appropriately for maximum recovery.

    Kick *kitten*, day in & day out !

    Hope some of these tips will be of help ...... experiment until you find what works ..... and log in every day :drinker:
  • MMB5222
    MMB5222 Posts: 19 Member
    :smile: :smile:
  • riddick16
    riddick16 Posts: 7
    Hey Ethan,
    This is a new beginning. Take a moment and think of yourself only. You can not do this for anyone but yourself. The reasons have to be your own. Make this work because you are young and want to get healthy. It has to be about you. Surround yourself with postive things. You are are allowed to give in to a craving now and then, it's okay. Depriving yourself completely causes binge eating, which is not good. Walk everyday whether at work or home, start by going around the block. After a week, walk 2 blocks and so on. It's about you empowering yourself to make successful decisions. It's about control. Take back your life and change your ways, one day at a time. You can do it. We are all here to help. It's ALL ABOUT YOU !!!!
  • Dustysinger
    Dustysinger Posts: 2
    This is NOT your last chance! i know how you feel, though. I've been promising myself I would be "thin" for 25 years, now. In the last 7 years I have gained and lost 50 pounds - twice. I got to the point where I thought I really didn't care. Problem was, I did. I was eating to stuff all the feelings away. Eating to calm myself. Eating to fill lonely hours. Eating cuz it tasted good. Exercise? Too hard. Then last winter I started having chest pains. Thought I was close to a heart attack. Went to the doctor and had lots of very expensive tests. nothing. it was stress, and nerves and gerd all rolled into one. Then I saw another doctor and now I have diabetes Type 2. Given meds. I was so angry at myself I refused to take them for two weeks. Then got into some counseling and started to talk to someone I really trusted about how I feel about myself and about how I look and she is helping me come to grips with loving my body and myself. So - you have to ask yourself. Do you want to lose weight for others or for yourself? Do you want to stop feeling guilty because you eat so much? do you want to stop hiding food? do you want to stop finding excuses to do everything else but take care of yourself? Then stop. start small. MFP has helped me to monitor the food I eat which helps me to really think about it before I eat it. it shows me the result of what I eat in terms of calories. It shows me the nutrition breakdown.

    Don't think of this as dieting. If you diet you will not be successful. You need to change your relationship with food. Food is fuel for your body. Start there. Listen to your body and eat when it seems it needs fuel. Eat protein at every meal. Complex cards, avoid fat if you can. you can eat normal foods. skip the sauces and cheese. skip the fries and eat fruit. make sandwiches with bread thins. be patient with your self. Ely's sugar free fruit pops are the best after dinner. go for a walk before you eat. skip alcohol - it usually makes you more likely to eat. relax. this isn't a life test. it's a new way of thinking about food. I promise you, if you relax and take it one day at a time you will be fine. don't go for huge fast loss. its unsustainable. change your approach to food. and you'll be fine. sorry about punctuation. I've got 65 more pounds to go.
  • Ivarivdnoe
    Ivarivdnoe Posts: 51 Member
    I am definitely in the same boat as you! I started a little over 3 weeks ago at 272lb! I got discouraged when no weight was coming off, but i stuck to it, now at 266!! Its not instantaneous, remember that!! We both can stick to it together!!! Lets hold each one accountable for their meals and exercise each day!! Lets do this FOR THE LAST TIME!! :)
  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
    Ethan...Every new day is a new opportunity to get it right because life can only be lived one day at a time! So forgive yourself for your past failures with food and keep moving forward... always trying to do better and to learn from past mistakes....You are not alone...This process is slow (and aggravating) for anyone who is seriously trying to lose weight...And I know that you probably don't believe this...but at your young age you have an excellent opportunity to learn the importance of "watching what you eat" very early in life. You can do this if you just don't give up on yourself.
  • pseel42
    pseel42 Posts: 82 Member
    Hi Ethan,

    You have my support if you would like it I think what you are doing is awesome!! Keep up the good work.

    Don't listen to what friends and family say to you, do this for YOU!! You are the only one that has to answer to your successes as well as failures!! We all have them.

    Good luck and feel free to add me if you want!!

    Paula :)
  • Valleydachs
    Valleydachs Posts: 56
    The only thing I've got to contribute is your motive to lose. You have to do it for YOU. Not your parents. Not your friends. Not your special friend. YOU. This is all about YOU. Do this for Ethan and no one else.

    It isn't easy. We all backslide. Don't beat yourself up but pick yourself up and start again.

    Seriously, I'm just starting again. I have 30 to drop. Exercise is my enemy. I like to create in the kitchen so the food thing can be done. Just keep it simple. Keep it fresh. No Franken food (artificial garbage) and you'll be on your way. I'm friending you today. Hope we can offer mutual support.
  • GoaliesWife123
    GoaliesWife123 Posts: 31
    You've got this! One step at a time. If we spend all of our time looking at the past, then we miss out on today!
  • shearhappinessmech
    shearhappinessmech Posts: 7 Member
    Ethan,

    I am right there with you. It is hard but, it can be done. I am a mother of 3 and in living a very unhealthy lifestyle I am not only hurting myself but my children as well. So, I am going to do my best to stick to it and set a good example for my family. I am 32 years old but feel 60. So, today is as good as any.

    Baby steps are always a good start and always remember every little bit counts and every positive thought can or will result in something positive.

    I am here for you!!!

    YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

    Nice to meet you,

    Zoraya aka (friscoaries)
  • tanyaslosingit
    tanyaslosingit Posts: 178 Member
    Hi Ethan!

    Don't look at your past experiences as failures! Look at them as "training!" Now you know what doesn't work, so now you can get down to what *does*! For anyone who is starting out on their final weight-loss campaign, I highly recommend watching the HBO documentary, The Weight of the Nation. It really helps to know what you're really up against (You may think you know, but really, this four-part documentary is revelatory!) Anyway, from there, you can decide on your approach. I'm a big proponent of Slow & Steady: setting up conservative mini-goals that I know I can achieve and sustain; but others are very much of the Fast & Furious approach. Whatever you decide, MFP is a great place for support and I genuinely wish you the best of luck :-)

    *YOU CAN DO THIS!*
  • shearhappinessmech
    shearhappinessmech Posts: 7 Member
    Hey Ethan! Just take it one day at a time. I went over my calories today...but also know I didn't work out and it coulda been worse! baby steps...all about the baby steps! You got this!!! <3
  • jimzisa
    jimzisa Posts: 19 Member
    Hi Ethan:

    First off, welcome back. That you returned with a goal in mind is a victory; celebrate it. For the rest of your journey, start slowly and compliment yourself at every turn. Just pick one thing to do every day; a walk, one push up, one goal and do it. When I started trying to get a handle on my weight, I overdid everything and quit every time I did. Finally, a former athlete friend of mine gave me the "pick one thing" advice and it worked.

    Beyond all else, be kind to yourself, won't you? Let us give you any affirmation you need and never, never, never be afraid to ask for help. We've all been there, some of us for far longer than you. We're all here to help each other.
  • steveo1111
    steveo1111 Posts: 2
    Hang in there and stay true to the program because it works. I was at 250 and felt the same way you do right now. My doctor said to lose weight . Its working for me it will work for you.
  • criscricket
    criscricket Posts: 69 Member
    You can do it!!! :)
  • Christie2bme
    Christie2bme Posts: 3
    Ethan,

    I just started this today. I went to a support group through my church, which lead me to this website. I am at an all time high for me at 199 lbs. my goal weight is 135. I know it won't be easy but I am looking for a group to help me through this.

    Christie
  • turkkm
    turkkm Posts: 66
    Each day is a new chance!

    Nothing is predestined: The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings. - Ralph Blum

    Just start small. Like maybe trade 1 sugary soft drink for water today and do it again tomorrow. Think in terms of 1 day at a time, or even 1 hour at a time. Lots of people at MFP will cheer you on when you succeed and help pick you up when you fall down.....including me!

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