Contradictions EVERYWHERE

I'm sure the 500-900 cals per day are REALLY adding to the pissed off mood and cravings.

I'd die on that amount of calories!

I'll add another contradiction. You can't starve yourself, period. And if it was a doctor who told you to do that, find another doctor!!

Are you exercising?

My doctor gave me the option of surgery, but I can't afford it. She told me that I would have to lose weight on my own anyway before she would do surgery, so she handed me a sheet with my body fat percentage and told me that my BMI was off her chart in her office (which is was). She said that I would be dead in a year and told me that I needed to lose as much weight as possible. When I asked her for tips, she said that people who have bypass have to keep their intake down to 800 calories - she also said that if I had a heart attack right now, they would put me on an 800 calorie diet before they would do surgery.

There is no reason to go on such a low cal diet without GB surgery - for starters, with the surgery, the way your body processes food completely changes, also, you are under very close supervision from your surgeon, dietician and everyone else! I supported a good friend through the process, and even if your insurance would cover it, I would suggest it is an option of last resort.

Listen to what people are saying - log food, eat a deficit and you will see results.

And please don't leave MFP - yes, some people are arseholes, but I think this is just where you need to be.

My diary is always open, so feel free to check it out. I admit, I have never been obese, but you can see I'm maintaining my weight, and have plenty of room for treats (went out to brunch yesterday - bacon, eggs, ciabatta, pancakes etc etc. So you don't have to deprive yourself.)

With 500-900 calories per day, I'd be a pissed off b*tch.

I am short, overweight (170-ish), and eat 2,000 calories a day, workout, and am losing weight.

I also have food issues (binging problems tied to emotionality), and I get off track too often... but when I'm doing it right, I eat 2,000 (or more) calories a day and lose.

You need to eat a cheeseburger, exercise, and RELAX.

I am a firm believer that no one loses weight by measuring every little thing that goes into your mouth - it is not sustainable, not practical and just not possible if you plan to lead any type of lifestyle outside of your home.

I believe it is more important to research each type of food and to decide if it is good for you to eat it or not.

As I write this, I realize that I am probably not ready to diet or make any lifestyle changes - if I was, I would probably not be so negative.

Maybe you can change your beliefs... because many, many people measure the food that goes into their mouthes. Apparently it is practical and sustainable.

You can research foods all day long... but you need to be aware of the science behind metabolism. We can wish any number of things were true... but science is about explaining & predicting reality... not wishful thinking.

If you are morbidly obese you probably need to kick things into high gear as far as readiness goes... I'd try to come at this with more of an open mind and start looking into exactly how many calories you are eating per day. By whatever method you can stand to use. Good luck.

Great special about weight loss and goes over (again) why people have such a hard time losing weight and giving up fatty foods, etc (near the end) on 20/20 episode "Half their size". http://abc.go.com/watch/2020/SH559026/VD55261616/2020-14-half-their-size
It also has info on dieting from people who have lost weight intelligently, etc. And if you know anything about Ruby, she is on there (she lost from 700 lbs to 329 supposedly without surgery but regained to 398 and back down to 360's now). Losing weight is hard. I've lost over 100 lbs and it has been a struggle. I know that I AM a food addict. I'm in my 50's and know that I can't eat a little of things that set me off cause at first I delude myself into thinking that I am ok but later, I am eating a gallon of sugar free ice cream or a box of Little Debbie Zebra cakes. I have been dieting for my entire life and I have lost this weight slowly and took out 5 months to just maintain before beginning to lose more weight. I eat tons of veggies, fruits, and smaller amounts of vegetarian proteins (I'm vegetarian and have been for years and not due to diet but due to loving animals). I did measure every bite because I would trick myself into thinking larger quantities were smaller (like I should be eating one cup but was actually eating a cup and a half, etc... on some food items that can be a lot of extra calories a day. I had to teach myself portion control somehow). I don't eat sweets or processed foods anymore. Feel great too. I want to lose another 50 lbs and started back on my diet and lost 10 lbs already (last month). I exercise every day even though I have mobility issues (RA) and I'm in pain all the time. My husband and I got a new treadmill that has longer "arms" so that I can use them for support when I walk so that I won't (hopefully) fall. I have always had problems with my weight since I was a pre-schooler:( I'm not saying it is easy but it's getting somewhat easier over time. I still occasionally crave junk and unhealthy foods and I just don't let myself do that. I know myself and know that one bite of something bad leads to another and another and then an entire carton or jar or whatever.

Have you tried going to a support group like TOPS or OA? Those are free or cheap? They also have online meetings but I don't know how many ppl show up for the online ones. Best of luck to you!

Lots of good feedback from your post. Glad you put it out there instead of just disappearing into the night... add good supportive friends, like the ones who responded. This site can be a wealth of information and support if you let it be. Add me if you like! And here's to a really healthy 2013 for you, and for all of us! :

is this even serious/ I mean, OP's name is reallyfatslob. not to be mean, but idk anyone who would make their name that. obese or not.

^^This is exactly what I was thinkin but I see he has made other comments in response.


Changing my response entirely, see below.

what is great about this site is it helps you log everything for a while so you can see how much you really can eat. 500 calories is not necessary... 1200-1800 and you will lose weight. spend some time and log everything and you will realize you get to eat a lot of the foods that you like and still lose weight, you just cant eat ALL of the foods that you like ont he same day. it will also help you plan out if you know there will be a day you want to eat something in particular so you can still eat other meals but in moderation so you can still have the same amounts of food. at this point, I wouldnt read about foods. you are right contraditions everywhere...so eat what you like, just keep with in a certain caloric intake and you will be fine.

What kinds of foods are you keeping in the house? I have made a commitment to limit bad foods. I can't eliminate them entirely, I have 3 others here who eat it, but I only buy in moderation now. If it runs out before a shop they need to go seek it out. It will see everyone eat less. You have a challenge ahead of you for sure as this is a mental game, you need to retrain your thoughts. It is OK to eat the bad stuff at times. It doesn't mean you failed and then need to just chuck the towel in. Want pizza? Make your own. Pita bread, toppings of your choice. Want ice cream? Stock single serve types in your freezer. Low cal, and they meet that sugar craving. You can do this. Use the food diary to your advantage. I love it. I would have thought I could only have 1200 cals a day, but I can have 2000. That is heaps! Enough to feel full and satisfied. I need to lose 140 pounds. Is it daunting? Yes. But I am not going to let it get the best of me before I've even started the journey.

You can do this!

I really don't want to appear that I am arguing - just trying to be honest with myself. It is not about what I keep in the house - if I have single serve ice creams, I will eat 5 of them. If I want a pizza (which most people say on this site is totally okay), I will eat the whole thing (not just one or two pieces). If I go through McD's, I will get two Big Macs or whatever I want. It is not a matter of restricting what is in the house because I will eat until I am satisfied....

The idea of moderation is not something I can do without going to the extreme (total denial of anything that tastes good).

Ok, so eat more calories of lean protein, whole grains, and lots of fruits and veggies. Stock your house with healthy food and take a break from take-out and any other trigger foods for now.

U need 1500 calories, not 500. U are gonna end up gaining weight if u keep that up.

Nahh--when I first started, I was also cranky. It's a total change to go from 3000+ calories a day to 1200-1500 (that's what I did). So in the beginning, it's always tough, & definitely always not friendly.

I also don't log everything.
I estimate probably more than half the time because I don't have a fancy scale to measure the cuts of meat, or whatever.
But I've gotten by! Doesn't take a bunch of money to lose weight, just dedication.
I still don't have a HRM. I don't even have my own scale, I go weigh myself on a public one. xD Which is probably a good thing, considering I'd be on it constantly.
I still eat junk food. Once a week, I treat myself to some as a reward for doing good the past 6 days.

What works for some doesn't work for all. (: You'll make it!

I think your "name" says a lot about the mental state behind the rant. I am no expert but have fought the weight issue all my life (I am now 70 yrs old). You need more professional help than reading comments from well meaning folks here. There were so many emotional, physical, and mental issues in your posting the real you was impossible to hear. Please do yourself and your family (who must really care about you) a favor and get professional help ASAP. No one should be in as sad a state of mind as you. I wish you the best.

I am a firm believer that no one loses weight by measuring every little thing that goes into your mouth - it is not sustainable, not practical and just not possible if you plan to lead any type of lifestyle outside of your home.

You don't need to measure everything that goes into your mouth forever. You only need to do that long enough to get a sense of proportion, how much is how much, etc. After that you just use your own sense to estimate and it will all come out in the wash.

I believe it is more important to research each type of food and to decide if it is good for you to eat it or not. Here's my dilemma - for every food item, someone tells you that it is the worst thing you could possibly eat while trying to lose weight and someone else tells you that you should eat as much of the same food as you want. Bananas are a great example, but I found this with EVERY food I have tried to research in the past week. It is impossible to make any food decisions beyond kelp/seaweed and water.

You aren't going to accomplish everything overnight anyway, so there's no major benefit in instantly changing every facet of your lifestyle. Start out by simply counting your calories, and then looking back at your log to see what things you can do to improve your calorie count without depriving yourself. When you feel like researching foods, research one thing and decide for you whether it fits into a lifestyle you want to live, based on what you think it will do for/to you and how much you enjoy eating it.

When I say manage, I mean that I am pisssed off for most of the day, I go to bed and try to sleep by 8 PM and stay in bed til about 9 or 10 AM as the only time I am not hungry is when I am sleeping.

Oversleeping can lead to (read: cause) depression, so don't start relying on it as a solution because depression also saps your motivation, and then you won't stand a chance because it will start a vicious cycle.

I have 4 different family members telling me that they don't want me to die of a heart attack and then they all have different ideas about how I should lose weight. I lost about 75 pounds 15 years ago by cutting out fats and most fried foods and it worked for about 5 months. I still wanted fast food, junk food and high calorie food all the time - I got upset with people who say that their craving for "bad" food went away or that they got sick when they ate fast food - that never happened to be and never will.

As I write this, I realize that I am probably not ready to diet or make any lifestyle changes - if I was, I would probably not be so negative.

You probably want to, since you're here, but it sounds like you are overwhelmed and don't know where to start. Start with the above. Do it for you. Know that you don't have to ever starve or deprive yourself to succeed in this. Nothing is going to shed all your weight overnight so you have a LONG time to ease yourself, baby steps at a time, into a sustainable lifestyle that YOU like and you will want to keep because it makes you happy and keeps you healthy.

One thing I don't understand about this post is that the writer claims they do not believing measuring food is a sustainable method of weight loss, or realistic for long term... but eating 500-900 calories a day and starving is? That is far too low. Weight loss does not have to be a miserable experience.


Secondly, it sounds like a a bunch of excuses to avoid taking that first step. You CAN do this, with whatever resources you have.. even if they're very few. Anyone can lose weight if they are truly committed and determined in their heart. If you're not ready, you're not ready. Sometimes people just need time. For me, I had to hit rock bottom before I was successful in losing 90 lbs and keeping it off for the past 4 years.. and I still have quite a way to go since I'm still 200+ pounds. Until I was truly ready, I was never successful in my past attempts. You don't need a ton of money, supplements, weight watchers, or surgery. You're not giving yourself a fair chance, and with some minor changes you CAN and will lose weight.

You don't need to have all the right answers to begin. That's the good news.

Finding what works for you is about common sense and definitely a lot of trial and error. This is a journey where you learn along the way. No one ever got fat from eating fruit and vegetables. So don't worry about a banana.. but avoid the obvious things like fast food, soda, junk food, sweets. Just avoiding those obvious things I imagine you'll notice a dramatic difference. Eat more fresh foods like fruit, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, etc. And If you're hungry, EAT! Don't starve yourself or you'll just end up frustrated and wanting to give up. It needs to be a habit you can continue for life, or it'll be hard to keep the weight off that you do lose. Trust me. Incorporating healthier foods, and cutting back on the bad ones is a good place to start. Then just learn as you go along, and work to improve yourself each day. We all have rough patches, but it DOES get easier. You're not going to lose it overnight, so be patient and trust in your efforts.


"Eat food, Not too much- mostly plants." -Michael Pollan

deleted.