Support Needed

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Sara45431
Sara45431 Posts: 25 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am a 34 year old married mom of 4. I have been overweight most of my life and have tried several times before to loose weight with NO success. I am very motivated at the moment to loose weight and keep it off. I bought an elliptical 3 days ago and have a beginning goal to use is daily for 5 minutes at a time at least 3 times a day for a total of 15 minutes and started my diet yesterday. MFP has my goals at 1,590 calories, 219 carbs, 53 fat, and 60 protein a day. My goal is to loose 2 lbs a week which will take me over a year and a half to meet my ultimate goal. I need to loose quite a bit of weight so I understand it's going to take a substantial amount of time and effort. I would like to ask others that have been successful how did you stay motivated, what were your first steps/changes for weight loss, what kind of foods did you eat, what kind of exercise did you do, how long did it take to see any changes, etc. Any suggestions are welcome as I feel very uninformed right now. I am also looking for buddies to keep me motivated and inspired.

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  • UrbanSpaceman75
    UrbanSpaceman75 Posts: 31
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    I think one key thing you've already done is accept that it's going to be a long haul, not a quick fix. My experience has been that everything is about building habits and making small changes that add up over time. For me, this involved using MFP to count calories and make small changes - reducing or cutting out completely the kinds of foods that are poor calorie value for their deliciousness and/or how filling they are.

    Don't expect linear progress. 2lbs is a lot to lose per week (depending on where you're starting from), and I think you'll need to be patient and resilient and determined for times when you don't hit that target. These forums tend to have a lot of posts for people who've really thrown themselves into weight loss, given it their all, and are then devastated when they don't meet their targets within a few weeks. I hope the community motivation and support they get here gives them the encouragement they need to try again, and keep going, but I don't think everyone does.

    Having said that..... the effect once you do start seeing results (and other people start seeing them too) is brilliant, and its a spur to further effort. Earlier this week I started wearing my winter coat again, and I really noticed how much looser it was on me (while still fitting!). You'll read lots of NSV (Non-scale victories) here about occasions where people fit clothes they didn't used to, or when friends or family have noticed their weight loss. My experience has been that getting these positive signs of progress is a great motivator and incentive to continue.

    The challenge is in the gap between effort and results. Or when efforts aren't leading to results quickly enough for our liking. Or when real life gets in the way (illness, stress, work, other people, festive seasons, holidays, etc and so on). That's the time when resilience is needed. I think people need to be prepared for these times.

    On exercise, I think using fitness machines indoors is good (can do them in private, in any weather, few excuses etc), but it might also be worth looking at simple things like taking more walks etc. Good to get outdoors, and it's a break from the usual routine.
  • Iron_Maiden
    Iron_Maiden Posts: 326 Member
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    I'm here! You're not alone! Add me!:flowerforyou:
  • tua32212
    tua32212 Posts: 3
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    Hi, I'm new to MFP. Feel free to add me for mutual support!

    Just take it 1 day at a time. 1 foot in front of the other. Repeat.

    Small goals are good, like your 5 minute goal on the elliptical. I think you're being realistic by easing into some small changes. Over time, you can make more small changes, until they result in a BIG change. Healthy thinking!

    Plus, putting out money on exercise equipment might help guilt/motivate you into using it. You know, "Well, I already BOUGHT the damn thing, and it's only 5 minutes..."

    Good luck, and please add me! I'm new and want a support network!
  • gigibeanz
    gigibeanz Posts: 3
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    Hi Sara, I'm in the same boat as trying to lose weight. I'm not big on exercise but I'm taking baby steps like you. I started a Kickboxing class last week and yesterday was my third time doing it. Its a 90 minute class. I feel this helps me because I'm not a gym person. I feel motivated to keep up with everyone in the class and everyone helps out and motivates me. I also noticed that after all that hard work I don't want to put all those calories back on me by eating my weakness which is double stuff oreos, lol. :) I bought a lot of fruit which I'm munching on at work like baby carrots, celery sticks, pears, bananas, 100 calorie pack natural almonds, light yogurt, baby spinach salads, fat free italian dressing, oh and the light progresso soups are pretty filling for under 180 calories for the whole can! :) If I do have a sweet tooth I noticed it goes away after eating the fruit because it is naturally sweet. I also bought 100 calories snacks like brownie and caramel popcorn too and only will have one a day. Good luck with your weight loss journey. If you ever have any tips please share with me. Thank you :)

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