Got ALOT of weight to lose....where to start?

I've been on every diet you can think of to lose (and gain) those stubborn 10-20 lbs. this time around it's been a lifestyle change. more of an awareness of what I'm eating. I haven't deprived myself of anything but I do watch my portions and overall calorie intake each day. aside from the last week or so

There is also a message board around here 'in place of a road map 2.0' and a group called 'eat more to weigh less'....have a look at these to get a better idea of what your calorie goal should be for the day. you may be surprised to see that it's a lot higher than you think. it's a slow and steady approach but easily sustainable for life! if you have a lot of weight to lose, you can factor in a higher calorie deficit to start and then reduce this deficit as you get closer to your goal.

The calorie calculator that I use that's been pretty accurate for me is www.scoobysworkshop.com

As for exercise, ease into it....start with walking everyday and build from there. add in weights / resistance a couple of times per week if possible.

I've finally figured out that weightloss and health doesn't have to be a hardcore 'all or nothing' approach. it isn't easy sometimes, but it really is quite simple. do your research on TDEE and BMR, calculate your numbers, make smart choices and trust the process.
Good luck! also there are a lot of people on these forums who are very helpful!

Welcome!!

I'll start by saying that MFP is a great place to start. Logging your food will give you a lot of perspective and you will find a host of knowledge and experience here. Do try to stick to the goals that you set up on MFP

As far as food choices, it's completely about personal choice. I would start with trying to avoid processed & sugary foods such as pastas, rice, crackers etc and adding more whole foods like fruits, veggies & lean meats. You will find that there are some fantastic recipes on this site to keep things interesting not so boring.

The exercise is important but you don't have to jump right into jogging. Start with walking and gradually build your endurance. Probably much better for your back also.

Wishing you luck!!!

A lot of people will appear (though they haven't as of my typing this) to suggest specific diets, but, in my experience, just focusing on calories is the way to start. Later, if you see that you are getting too much/not enough of one macro, you can work on that.

Figure out a calorie goal using the MFP calculator or the method here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 Log for awhile and see if that goal is reasonable for you. I started with 1400, but quickly realized that is wasn't sustainable, so I upped to 1750 and that has worked for me, both in that I have lost and that I never feel deprived.

Eat any kinds of foods that you want. Logging will show you places where you can cut back. Try new foods, whatever ones you want, and figure out where you can get the most bang for your buck caloriewise. There is no need to eat a restrictive, boring diet. Soda can be a good place to cut. It is a lot of calories with not a lot of nutrients. I used to drink a lot of soda (3-4 cans a day). Now I drink mostly plain seltzer with lemon. I still do drink soda though, just less often (1-2 cans a week). Search for soda in forums and you'll find lots of threads with tips for cutting back.

Someone posted that you have to be on a diet 24/7, but the key for me has been to stop dieting. Yes, I use my food scale to figure out portions, and I log here, but I truly eat whatever I want. I eat all types of food, I just eat less of some types and more of others. The key to long term weight loss is figuring something out that you can do long term and most restrictive diets don't fall in that category.

Hi William! :O)

First of all, congratulations on taking the first step to changing your life. We all need help from time to time and the boards here are a great resource for information. Sometimes it's useful - sometimes it's not, but I always find that it's great to have a bunch of different thoughts because often times something will ring true for me.

I agree with those who have said that a specific diet isn't necessary - particularly in the beginning. When I started, I just logged what I was eating so that I would know how many calories I was consuming. I didn't worry about the specific foods, but rather just making sure things were reasonable. Some people don't do well with slowly changing their diet and need to change everything in order to stick to it. Others are okay with slowly changing. For me, I want to be able to sustain a reasonable weight for life, so I don't do things that I know I won't maintain forever.

My thoughts on this are to drink a lot of water (maybe cut back on the fizzy drinks - even the diet ones because we really don't need them), get in some kind of exercise, and use the calculator to get a good number for you to be eating each day as far as calories. As for the exercise, find something you enjoy doing, and don't think it has to be going to the gym or running, etc. There are lots of active things that don't require a gym membership. Some people use their workout to be able to eat a bit more (I personally do this on occasion), and that's okay too.

Know that all of this may take a bit of experimentation. I'm currently plateauing (have been for about 2 1/2 months now) and am having to re-evaluate to see what I can change or do differently to get the weight loss going again. You can be doing everything right on paper and still not see losses. My point? Don't give up if you don't immediately see a change and look for help from others who may have had similar experiences.

Good luck to you on your journey! :O)

I have experience with the concept of "dieting" being boring and eating repetitive bland food is definitely a diet bummer! The good news is, you don't have to do that! Since I've been working on eating better, I've found a whole bunch of awesome looking recipes online for soups, salads, breads, casseroles, and all kinds of stuff that is not only healthy, but also would taste amazing! It's all about variety and the really cool thing is that when you focus on eating better with more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, you can discover flavors that you never really experienced before. There are SO many different plant foods out there will a whole host of variety in flavor, texture, etc. so you don't ever have to feel bored with eating healthy! And remember, herbs and spices are your friend, along with olive oil and vinegar. Adding flavor to foods doesn't have to come in the form of them being fried or cheese-smothered. I'm honestly speaking even beyond my own experience, here, but I am just starting out and excited about stocking my pantry and fridge/freezer with all kinds of new and different things.

Hi all,

I joined here a while back but never really got into the swing of dieting as usual, but now I am back and determined to lose weight for good this time.

I am a 31 year old man, standing at 6ft 4in and weighing in at just over 26 stone. I have tried many diets in the past but have never stuck to one long enough to really see a difference to encourage me to continue.

I am posting here because I would love some advice on what foods are best to be eating, or whether anyone recommends a certain diet for me.

I am not much of a sweet person, it is mainly fizzy drink (albeit diet fizzy drink) and bread/savoury food that are my weaknesses.

I love cereal (bran flakes, corn flakes, weetabix etc) and so would be happy to incorporate lots of this into my diet if it helped lose weight.

As for exercise I have a bad back, which I believe is purely because of the weight I am carrying. I did try in the summer to go jogging with my wife but lasted 2 minutes and had to stop

We do own the Zumba DVDs and can do around 15 minutes of that at a time, which really gets my heart pumping, so I am going to aim at doing that 3-4 times a week and see how it goes.

My main problem is eating the right foods and having some variety. In the past the thing that has made me come off diets most is the repetitiveness of food. Hopefully this time I will try new things and add more range to my diet so I don't get bored.

Like mentioned above my main problem is knowing where to start. Should I concentrate on calories, carbs, etc etc???

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading
William

Hi William,

First, congrats on getting here and making the choice to change. The best advice that I was given, and that worked was this:

1. Start off with smaller changes. Say week 1 - a half hour walk and a switch from whole milk to skim.
2. Week 2 bump it up to a 45 min walk and cut out excess sugar...

You see my point? Small changes. Because in order for this to work - it is not a diet but a lifestyle CHANGE.

This was all truly the best adice and it worked for me and I found to be true. If I can help any further, do not hesitate to ask.

Best of luck,