Overwhelmed! Any tips?

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  • EdwardaAlderete
    EdwardaAlderete Posts: 1 Member
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    I have been trying to lose weight for years (with no success). Finally, I'm at the point where I have to lose 100 lbs. I knew I couldn't do it by myself and I have tried buddy systems, etc. and it didn't work.

    I went to my doctor and told him what i wanted to do and; of course, that is what he has been wanting to hear for years that i was ready. He gave me a completely physical (blood work, everything) and I found out exactly where i am health wise Found out I have high cholesterol, high glucose, and vitamin D deficiency. This was a huge motivator to do something -- he suggested trying to lose 5 lbs a month.

    Log in everything you eat, try to have one apple 1-2 a day before a meal (high fiber) and replace one meal a day with a whey shake. Increase water consumption. I still don't do much exercise but I have increased my household chores (don't have a housekeeper any more).

    I visit him once a month with a print out of MyFitnessPal food journal. So far I have lost 8 lbs and I feel very good. As he said I did not gain these extra 100 lbs over night; therefore, do not expect to lose it over night. With his goals of 5 lbs a month -- I will have lost 60 lbs in a year (I'll take that).
  • NordicAlien
    NordicAlien Posts: 110 Member
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    I find that cooking (and eating) is a lot easier if I measure out all my food once a week, usually on Sunday since that's when I have free time. I buy a load of ziploc bags and measure single servings of pasta, rice, cereal, chicken (which I then freeze), etc. Even things like nuts and chickpeas. It takes up a bit more storage space than keeping things in a single canister, but not much (and I have these neat rectangular stackable glass canisters from Ikea that the bags fit into nicely). I've battled eating disorders all my life, and I find it really hard to estimate what a normal portion size should be - I undereat about 70% of the time and overeat the other 30%. Measuring everything once a week really helps. It takes an hour or so to do my food for the week (I don't bother with fruits and veg - I end up with enough of a deficit at the end of the week that an extra portion of fruit and veg here and there doesn't hurt me) and it makes eating a lot less hassle since I don't have to either guess or weigh things before each meal.

    Of course, this only applies if you buy basic bulk ingredients like I do, instead of serving-size packages. :)

    Edited TWICE for bad auto-correct. *glares at phone*

    Also, making a week's menu plan (with some flexibility) saves on a lot of time - and mental stress - at the grocery store. No more wandering around thinking, "What might I want to eat this week?" and ending up with junk.
  • katlc2003
    katlc2003 Posts: 17 Member
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    and AMAZING website...."skinny Kitchen" Tons of weight watchers recipes......best of luck

    http://www.skinnykitchen.com/
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
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    A little while ago, I logged everything I ate during a "normal" day while at my heaviest weight, just to see how many calories I'd been consuming. This pretty much sums up my reaction:

    Shocked-Meme.png
  • jessicawrites
    jessicawrites Posts: 235 Member
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    I swear by meal planning. I cook at home most nights (we only go out to eat a few times per month), and it helps me tremendously to know what I'm making in advance so I can make sure I have what I need.

    Meal planning typically takes me 10-15 minutes on a weekend. I have 3-4 cookbooks I use most often, so I'll pick one or two from each--one Italian dinner, two recipes from my quick 'n' easy standby, a stir-fry, and a soup, for example, and then maybe something more ambitious from my fancy cookbook to try on the weekend when I have more time. I put the quickest dinners on my most hectic days, or make soup early in the week and plan on a leftovers night. Grocery shopping is easy because the recipes give me the ingredient lists. I can read through and quickly take note of what we already have (rice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, frozen tilapia, and carrots, for example) and jot down what we need to buy (maybe spinach, lentils, diced tomatoes, and fresh parsley).

    For working out, my resolution is to get fit by sacrificing two early mornings and one evening in order to get workouts in. Exercising is a time commitment, and it helps me to think about what I'm willing to give up to start seeing good changes in my fitness, rather than wait for time to magically open up in my schedule (it never does!).
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    A little while ago, I logged everything I ate during a "normal" day while at my heaviest weight, just to see how many calories I'd been consuming. This pretty much sums up my reaction:

    Shocked-Meme.png

    AHAHAHAHA! I love that!
  • sangelic
    sangelic Posts: 207
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    I agree with everyone on the small changes. I started with cutting out soda, then I cut/limited my fast food intake (only allowed once per week!), then I added a workout video that I did at home. If you try to do too much at one time you'll become so overwhelmed that you give up. And with MFP definitely add friends! I would never have gotten as far as I have with this website without them :happy:
  • Dawnhasajeep
    Dawnhasajeep Posts: 180 Member
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    Just my thoughts on if you want to gradually get in to weight loss

    Step 1 YOU MUST GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME. Start telling yourself you can do it you will do it. You must think positive.

    Start with I will go to the gym X times a week (maybe its 2-3 times 30 min) What has worked for me is classes. I will go to zumba or step x times a week. If you are signed up & paid to go to a class you feel more obligated to go.

    IMHO Nutrition is more important than working out. You can lose weight and not work out. Figure how many calories you are takingin now and subtract 2-3 hundred and figure out how much fiber you are getting in. I would say start with fiber. I will get X amount of fiber in this week. You should be taking in 30-40g of fiber. Start slow and work yourself up to that much. Fiber keeps you regular and helps with digestion so I would start there. Like I said figure out what you are taking in now and slowly work up to more and more fiver each week. I do feel you need to log everything you eat and track it its a good habit to get in to and this sight makes it really easy to do.

    Every 2-3 weeks or so add a new level to it. 3 weeks in I will go to gum 4-5 times for 45 min. I will eat 35-40 g fiber and add in x amount of protein. Just my opinion but protein and fiber are 2 major things you want to be taking in. Try and cut out high sodium best way to lose water wate is cuting out sodium.
  • Dawnhasajeep
    Dawnhasajeep Posts: 180 Member
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    Tips or things that have worked for me.

    Sunday night is prep night. I am busy during the week so prepping is important to me. Being ready with a plan will help me stay on track.
    Wash all my berries in vinegar and water 1part vinegar to 10parts water rinse with water than keep in fridge. This keeps them fresher longer

    Cut and peal carrots and CUCUMBER sticks put in bowl of water for the week. Each morning I just grab a hand full and put them in a sandwich bag for snacking. Cucumber is a great snack low in cal and sodium.

    Scrambled eggs. I make 3-4 days worth of scrambled eggs up. 3 whites and 1 yoke per a day. I scramble a few days worth up and put them in Pyrex glass (I think glass is healthier than plastic plus dose not stain) dishes let cool, cover and put in fridge. Can add veggies if you want. Then microwave and they good.

    I make my own chips. Buy wheat wraps high in fiber cut them in to squares bake 350 till crisp 5-7 min.

    I usually make up a big batch of soup or chili for lunches and dived it out in Pyrex dishes.

    I love recopies in Happy Herbivore by Lindsey Nixon.

    If you like chicken salad back when I ate meat I made this and it was good and lots of protein. You can make up a weeks worth and keep it in fridge

    Boil chicken breast and dice
    Add plane Greek yogurt
    1/2 apple (I like gala)
    1/4 crushed walnuts
    1tbs lemon juice (keeps apples from going brown)

    I also limit my self to 1 pice of fruit and have it with a meal this keeps my blood shugar form spiking but I gat a sweet treat.
  • mamabear204
    mamabear204 Posts: 28 Member
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    WOW! You guys ARE amazing! Thank you so much for all the suggestions and for taking the time to respond and help me out! You all have definitely given me lots to think about and consider along with some great inspiration! I CAN DO THIS!!! I've already began cutting back the sugar I put in my coffee....next week my goal is to be sugar free! My daughter didn't have school yesterday so since I was at hoome with her, it was inconvenient to run to the gas station for my favorite fountain pop so I went without and ended up putting away 3 bottles of water by the end of the day instead....which I normally haven't been drinking any at all (YAY ME). My next biggest problem is fast food....I eat it every day almost for lunch and I'm tired of not just the same old same old but the $ I'm spending is getting ridiculous! So this weekend I will be sitting down and planning some lunches that I can bring to work from home along with my reusable water bottle that I haven't seen in months. I'm also committing myself to keeping track of what I'm eating here on MFP. After thinking about doing something like C25K....I've decided to hold off on that for that but I'm making it a goal to get a handle on what I'm eating and drinking first and giving myslef until spring to get my butt in gear!

    and seriously....THANKS THANKS A TON!
  • zagrath769
    zagrath769 Posts: 44 Member
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    I get a lot of recipes from the Hungry Girl website and books. She's got a lot of things under 200 and 300 calories. Tasty stuff!
    http://hungrygirl.com/
  • LauraDotts
    LauraDotts Posts: 732 Member
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    My advice: Start tracking what you eat. You don't have to make any changes at first, although you can. It's your diet that is going to make or break your attempts to lose weight, so you need to see those calories. They add up fast!

    Fill out your profile and goals here on MFP.
    This exactly.
  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
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    A good place to start is with just one meal. Just replace say, breakfast. Everything else remains the same. All you will concern yourself with is eating a nutritious breakfast comprised of whole real food... not food products. Example: 2-3 eggs, (cooked however you like them–I like them poached) and a piece of fruit. Do that until it becomes a no-brainer. Then do breakfast and lunch. Then do breakfast, lunch and dinner. As the weight starts to come off slowly start to move (exercise). Start with walking... then walking with some brief jogging in-between. As you get fitter, do sprints. Add weight-lifting. Choose exercises that you find enjoyable... have with it.
  • Dawnhasajeep
    Dawnhasajeep Posts: 180 Member
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    YOU GO GRIL! YOU CAN DO IT!
  • Christie0428
    Christie0428 Posts: 221 Member
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    I agree with the great advice you've already gotten! .. my two cents: just pick one positive thing to change adn make it a habit, then chose something else... and so on :-)
  • stetienne
    stetienne Posts: 560 Member
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    Eat less, move more. And drink some water.
  • mamabear204
    mamabear204 Posts: 28 Member
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    that pics is great! thanks for the laugh and yes i quite often feel like that too!
  • rwhyte12
    rwhyte12 Posts: 203 Member
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    I go to the gym, do cardio and weights. It really doesn't make that much difference but maintains a look for the most part. But what really starts to shred the weight is going swimming with my kids for two hours once a week or playing basketball (shooting hoops, running after the ball when I have to get it back) for just 20 minutes and walking in the snow for just twenty minutes but at a fast pace(snow shoeing without the shoes).

    So perhaps, make a basic commitment of one day a week to doing the more boring exercise and try to add everything else that also burns calories.

    Aquafit jogging can burn major calories in forty-five minutes too.

    Take care.
  • bsmithmia
    bsmithmia Posts: 41 Member
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    Step 1 - get your intake under control. You don't have to worry about thinks like fat/carb/protein ratios or whole foods vs packaged foods or any of that stuff just yet (unless you want to). First step is always to get your intake to a reasonable number. MFP can give you an idea of what that should be, there are lots of other calculators out there too.

    Step 2 - get some exercise. At this point you don't have to worry about how long to work out or how hard or what type of exercise you should be doing. Just get moving. If possible, find something you enjoy doing.

    Step 3 - be patient. This is a long process that involves some trial and error. If you don't see results the first week, don't get discouraged.


    Once you have a good handle on those 3 steps, then come back and see us for more tips.

    This
  • kiwiwizard
    kiwiwizard Posts: 59 Member
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    I agree. Keeping a journal like mfp to track what you're eating is the 1st step & even when you modify journallling has been shown to help people with weight loss (likely 'cos we're more aware?). I am always surprised at how all the little things add up. I was at a 'sales' party tonight & did wine & veges, avoiding the pastries & sugar. Yeah I got extra calories but l felt sensible about it. I guess the bottom line is to pick something you feel is managible at 1st like journalling or whateever & start there, adding more as you become more comfortable. Hang in there, you CAN achieve your goals!!

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