I really need to get control back in my life..help!

dana114
dana114 Posts: 10
edited December 2024 in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone! I am new to MFP and I am hoping this site and all of you lovely people will help me get on track and stay on track. I am 25 y/o female, 5'1" and weigh 178lbs. My goal is to get to 140-145lbs to start, maybe lower once I am there. I have tried to lose weight more times than I can count.

Right now I am overweight, possibly in the obese category, my clothes don't fit, I am starting to hate going shopping, I am shying away from social situations and time out with friends because of how I feel and I am definitely staying away from the camera. I am going on vacation in 2 weeks with a friend of mine and the thought of taking pictures is devastating right now. I am not happy with how I look or feel and really need support and help to finally make a change.

I exercise pretty regularly and am currently training 3x/wk to run/walk a 10k in a few months. My weakness comes in with eating. I can't out-exercise a bad diet. And what and how much I eat is what I need to change. I need to change the way I think about and approach food.

My older brother recently lost about 40-50lbs over the past 10 months and I am very happy for him and it just has me thinking, if he can do it, why shouldn't I be able to? He ate healthier, made better choices, and exercised. And the weight eventually came off.

I am looking for friends, motivation, support, and any tips you guys have about how I can get the most out of MFP. I hope to hear from you and wish you all luck on your journeys!

Replies

  • Kelly_Runs_NC
    Kelly_Runs_NC Posts: 474 Member
    Hi Dana!!

    First, congrats on making the decision which is the first step. Have you tried weight watchers?
  • sphenisciforme
    sphenisciforme Posts: 25
    If you really want to do this you will succeed. When I started out, weighing 188lbs (I'm 5'6) I wasn't sure how things would go, but was determined to make a difference. One year on, currently 145lbs and working hard to get to my target of 138lbs I can say it isn't an easy journey, but it is so worth the effort. Good luck :-)
  • KayleighFitness
    KayleighFitness Posts: 2
    Hi there, welcome to MFP.

    The first bit of advice with using this site is that you have to be completely honest with yourself about not only what you are consuming, but how much. The first time I started with this site I would track something and think, 'no, I'm sure it was less calories than that' and then adjust the online log. Big mistake for me.

    We have nearly identical starting stats, I'm also 5'1 and 178lbs so I look forward to hearing your progress on here :)

    Make use of the forums and add yourself to some groups, they will help keep you focused.

    Best of luck,
    Kayleigh
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    Hey, you're more than welcome to add me as a friend btw.

    What I've found to be helpful is when I go grocery shopping, I come back and I immediately wash all of my fruits and veggies. I cut up what can be cut and stored (like celery, broccoli, etc). I portion out the fruit (berries) that I put in my yogurt (which I also portion out since I buy the big tubs of plain).

    I like making big batches of goulash/soup/chili that I can freeze. I've found some other recipes that freeze well and I'll make that too so if I'm in a crunch for a work day lunch or I'm lazy for dinner I can pull it out and I know it's healthy.

    You can buy big bags of chips and such and portion them out into one-two servings per bag (depending on your calorie goals) - it's far cheaper than buy the pre-bagged stuff.


    If you've tried before and failed, I wouldn't dive in with a thousand changes because it probably won't work. I'd start slowly changing your diet. Less soda and more water and transition slowly. Less fried chicken, more baked chicken, etc.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Welcome to MFP! :smile:

    I've pretty much been in your shoes! I am 5'4, used to be around 168-170lbs, and since last March 2011 I have lost a lot of weight and I'm now down to 130lbs. My body has changed significantly - I am stronger, fitter, and much happier in my own skin. Being this size now, I can NEVER imagine myself going back to my previous size! I've kept the weight off since around January of this year and have pretty much been maintaining since then but I am going to try to lose a few more pounds now.

    If you want a new friend on here, feel free to add me.
  • tnjackso1
    tnjackso1 Posts: 312 Member
    hi, welcome to MFP... I know how you feel about pictures, but take one now and hide it away lol.... It will help you to make it through some tough months and days when you don't feel like moving or eatting right.

    Stay encouraged and yes, if your brother can do it and many others out here on MFP then certainly you can do it toooo!
  • cgarand
    cgarand Posts: 541 Member
    You are so wise to want to gain control of your health now. You will never regret the time you spend working out or eating right but I do regret all the years I spent finding excuses for not making myself a priority. I think MFP is a great place to start. I am finding everything here that I need to lose weight and get fit. I log everything I eat and find inspiration in the success stories and pictures in the message boards. People who really impress and motivate me I ask to be my friend and they are amazingly helpful and supportive.

    As with anything you want to be successful at you have to devise a plan of attack and then implement it. And, you have to be consistent. You already work out, that is half the battle!
  • AmyBoogie
    AmyBoogie Posts: 91 Member
    Hi Dana!
    You're working on it and that's the first step.

    The second IMO is to remember to be kind to yourself. You didn't get overweight overnight, you won't get thin overnight either. It takes time and making healthy life changes means that you will be able to keep them.

    I'm new to MFP but not calorie counting. The biggest thing is keeping an ACCURATE and honest log of what you eat. It's easy to forget to put down the pat of butter or the fruit drink....When I started to count it was ice tea that was killing me. I ate healthy but I wasn't even thinking about the calories in the drinks. Silly but that's what it was for me.

    Hang in there and do your best.
    Amy
  • dana114
    dana114 Posts: 10
    Thank you everyone for all of your supportive comments! It gives me hope that this is a great place to start out my journey!
  • Merc71
    Merc71 Posts: 412 Member
    Dana, welcome to the site. If you stay focused and disciplined with this site, you WILL see results.

    First thing you have going for you: you recognize where your weakness is. Most people have a hard time identifying, or they fool themselves into thinking, "I'm exercising, so I can eat whatever I want." People that think like that are just wasting their time and energy. So congrats to you for seeing it and admitting to it.

    It takes two weeks to form a good habit, so getting control of your eating schedule should be your immediate focus. Don't cheat on the food schedule --- you can lie on your numbers, but the scale won't lie!
  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
    Think of food as what it is... fuel for your body. Eat the foods that you want fueling you during your workouts. You aren't going to go very far on foods with empty calories and no nutritional value.

    The best piece of advice I can tell you is to start in the kitchen. Start researching clean recipes and even paleo recipes. Use foods in their purest form and substitute good things for bad (use eggplant as a layer in lasagna instead of noodles, etc). You don't have to start off big, just make small changes if that's easier for you. Load up your menu with new recipes and experiment! Trying new healthy recipes is often more appealing to me than eating the same old stuff.

    And get out there and exercise! I personally choose running, but it's not for everyone. Try a bunch of different things and figure out what really works for you. For me it was running. For my husband, Crossfit. Try everything, even things you aren't sure you'll like!

    Good luck!
  • lauraatkinson85
    lauraatkinson85 Posts: 84 Member
    Hi,

    Im new to MFP too and Im in the same position as you trying to get my life and weight back in order.

    I had a bad breakup a year and a half ago that lead to me suffering depression and comfot eating, but I feel as though my life is back on track now so I need to up the ante and deal with my weight.

    Im 27 years old, 5foot5 and currently 219lbs so I have a long way to go, but with the help of others on here Im hoping to get there eventually.

    If you want to add me on here youre more than welcome.

    Laura
  • gabbymom2
    gabbymom2 Posts: 175 Member
    Hi,
    Thank you for being so honest with how you feel. Just so you know, that the feelings you have are very much the same as
    what I have and I am sure others on here. If you need support please feel free to friend me. Have a great day. :flowerforyou:
  • wingchunrick
    wingchunrick Posts: 267 Member
    Welcome to the site. Please feel free to ask for advice from anyone on here as there's some wonderful people on here.
  • LivingInPuglia
    LivingInPuglia Posts: 122 Member
    I'd be happy to be your friend ..... send me a friend request!

    What's helping me is The Beck Diet Solution - it's available on Kindle. It's not a diet .... uses Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to change attitudes to food and eating. It is working for me. I've started writing about it in my blog, which I really need to update.

    Will try to do so later today

    Good Luck ...... you CAN do it
  • daisiemae123
    daisiemae123 Posts: 277 Member
    What I've found to be helpful is when I go grocery shopping, I come back and I immediately wash all of my fruits and veggies. I cut up what can be cut and stored (like celery, broccoli, etc). I portion out the fruit (berries) that I put in my yogurt (which I also portion out since I buy the big tubs of plain).

    I like making big batches of goulash/soup/chili that I can freeze. I've found some other recipes that freeze well and I'll make that too so if I'm in a crunch for a work day lunch or I'm lazy for dinner I can pull it out and I know it's healthy.

    You can buy big bags of chips and such and portion them out into one-two servings per bag (depending on your calorie goals) - it's far cheaper than buy the pre-bagged stuff.


    If you've tried before and failed, I wouldn't dive in with a thousand changes because it probably won't work. I'd start slowly changing your diet. Less soda and more water and transition slowly. Less fried chicken, more baked chicken, etc.

    ^ These are the best ideas ever. Someone suggested it to me before and that is how I took weight off the first time. It was when I got lazy and stopped doing this that it creeped back on. I pre-prep everything now and find it so much easier to eat better because the work for the week is already done no excuses. It takes a little extra time on shopping day, but so worth it in the end.
  • dana114
    dana114 Posts: 10
    Thank you all for your tips and suggestions. I definitely need to grocery shop more and pre-cutting my fruits and veggies and dividing food into portions will be helpful. For example...I have nothing to pack for lunch right now which usually would mean I would grab some pizza on my lunch break but not today! Today I will buy something healthy and this weekend I will go grocery shopping!
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