623lbs, Trying to Get Going Again
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We're all here for you if you need us Danni, keep smiling.0
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Take small steps. I often tell my friends on here about how to eat an elephant-one bite at a time. In other words, just focus on one small ting and it is less frightening than trying to solve the whole big picture all at once-especially at first. Set yourself up to succeed. Make a small goal each day and rejoice when you meet it. Get that one thing so ingrained that it becomes second nature-a healthy new habit. Then change up something else. And celebrate the two successes. Repeat as necessary.
I have been struggling myself for the last few months-I've lost just over 80 lbs and it's taken me just over three years to do it. I've done well and done badly. The difference between succeeding and failing is whether you keep trying. As long as you don't give up-there is always hope.
Get some friends on here and let them help support you when you can't support yourself. You CAN do it. An ounce at a time if neccessary!0 -
Nice to see you again Dani:flowerforyou:
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Like so many others are saying, it can be overwhelming to look at the big picture. Every day I tell myself TODAY I will do this. I try very hard not to worry about tomorrow. Although we are all looking for a physical change in our bodies, over all it is more of a mental change that we need to make.0
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Any thoughts on how to turn this into a long term success?
-Dani
Just believe you can do it.
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Hi Dani - changing your life is tough. Making the decision to love yourself more than you love destroying yourself can be one of the hardest parts of losing weight. Congratulations for making steps in that direction.
You've gotten too much advice already, but that never stopped me before.
0) What you're doing for yourself right now has to be the single most important thing in your life right now. Engage family, friends, and all of the other resources in your life towards accomplishing the goal of health. It is ever lovin' hard, but you can do it.
1) Log EVERYTHING. No excuses on this front. Just suck it up and do it. The business BSers have a saying - you can't manage what you don't measure. This is one situation where the business BSers are right.
2) Sugar is your enemy right now. A little sugar isn't gonna hurt anybody, but hundreds of grams will kill you. Do whatever you have to do to reduce your sugar intake. I think step one on this front is to eliminate every single drop of sweetened liquid from your diet for at least 6 days out of 7.
Message me if you need a hand up or a kick in the butt.0 -
Thank you Dani for posting this! Ive actually found it hard to find women who are as big as me or bigger on mfp. But no matter what size we are, we all pretty much have the same addiction. And it is an addiction so you should look at it like that. We go through withdrawals, cravings, emotional connections, physical side effects. I have found that through this struggle, having a good support system has greatly helped. Going on mfp a couple times through out the day, commenting on peoples status's, doing my own status's and helping each other stay motivated.
Add me! Lets do this together!0 -
Congrats Dani. Ftr coming back on here, for deciding to lose weight and for staying at 4K. All of these are wonderfull NSV's
Everyone has already mentioned starting with small steps and moving and believing in your lifestyle change ( not a diet). There's so many great ideeas on here and so much support. We are all here for you and are ready to celebrate all your NSV's and your scale victories too! We are also here to help when you''rer feeling, alone, fustrated, bored, lonely, frightened etc. We have all been there!!!
Just remember you have taken the hardest step by deciding to lose weight, the rest is just time and unfortunately patience.Good luck on your journey0 -
I would start by not wasting ANY calories on liquids. Make sure you get your 8 cups of water minimum. (quite often we are thirsty and not hungry)
Then I would start to incorporate more vegetables in your diet. Fibrous types are VERY low in calories and will fill you up.
Other good filling options are oats and rice but these will be higher cal per gram than vegetables.
Don't just eat whatever you want when you want, but prelog a day to make sure you hit your targets. Then hit those targets. If that helps then you can prelog the next day and continue like that.
Also, this is meant with no disrespect but at your weight it is quite likely that you are insulin resistant so cutting back on the carbs in general should help. (as well as the calorie deficit.)0 -
I will echo what everyone else has said here. Pick ONE thing that you KNOW you can do, and do it consistently for a period of time. I find just the act of logging EVERYTHING that goes into my mouth -- even on a bad day, which today was for me! -- helps keep me conscious of what I'm eating. Transitioning from caloric drinks to water is also a fairly easy change. Just pick one thing and focus on that one thing. Then when that's established, pick the next thing. You can do this.0
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I think one of the best things you could do is to stop thinking of it as a diet. A diet is usually short term and very restrictive. You are trying to make a life style change. Don't stop eating what you love, just cut down how much of it you eat. Like a lot of people have said: start small.
One thing that has helped me is to log the calories for food that I want to eat before I eat it. Sometimes once I see how many calories it would be it doesn't seem worth it. Other times I decide that it is worth the calories and I just make sure that I make up for it the rest of the day.
Just keep trying to improve on what you are doing each day and don't beat yourself up if you have a day where you don't stick to your plan. When those days happen just recommit to doing better the next day. Remember "tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it".
You can do this!0 -
Any thoughts on how to turn this into a long term success?
-Dani
They key to long term success is short term manageable goals What's short term? It can be just a daily goal or even your goal for the morning or breakfast. "For breakfast I am going to eat XYZ and then when it is lunch I can eat again" 0 -
Remember "tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it".
AnnE?0 -
So this hit home for me because I'm a big girl myself.
I know how hard it can be. I started January 14th, 2013 at 543 pounds. I'm now 520. I know I still have a long ways to go, but I'm looking at this as a life change, not a diet at all.
You need to know that you can do this. We both can.
I started out with controlling my eating habits first. I put myself on a 1500 calorie plan to start me off. For me this helped me make better choices and surprisingly it helped me lose 23 pounds.
But you have to be willing to really set your mind to it. Then it comes easy to adjust.
But I wasn't just watching my calories, I also told myself no fast food what so ever. And I mean never! I also gave up my sweet teas, juices and soda, all cold turkey. Plus I don't allow junk food in the house. No more chips, cookies and so on.
I was a big eater! I ate so much!
When i first started out I had to be strict on myself. if you can get past a week, you got this!
There are times I rewarded myself, but not with junk. I would get a small meal at subway. I don't reward with junk food because me personally, I love food. And I don't want to chance falling off track.
But you can still eat your foods just use moderations and try to drink more water. Its all I drink now. Plus don't even think of fast foods. You can make everything a fast food joint makes and make it healthier.
I'm still learning and I have a long ways. You learn as you go.
Today I did up my calories to 1800 and one day will probably up them to 2000. But for now it's what I'm doing.
Some say 1500 is low, but for me, it helped me start out so I could fix my bad habits. Now I'm at 1800. I'm never hungry. You can make it work.
I also added in exercise daily. It's hard doing exercise at this size, but I started small. You can do little things at first. Baby steps.
I don't know how your daily day is, but if you want to talk or need motivation I can do that! Just don't give up.
Also remember just cutting 500 from your daily intake on calories can be a good start.
It's all about good choices. You can do it.
Tackle the eating habits first, then work on the exercise. Don't overwhelm yourself.0 -
Bump0
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consistency is key. don't try to do too many drastic things at once, but start small, and let those small things eventually compound upon each other. read and read and read some more, you can do this.0
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wow. look at all that support. good luck. take each day at a time and dont let slip ups get to you. all the best. 0
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I agree with everyone just take small steps and change one thing at a time. Someone said tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes in it, I don't agree with that! Just cuz you have one bad meal doesn't mean the rest of the day has to be bad. each meal is a new start in my eyes. If you have a really bady breakfast then it's okay set a goal and make lunch a healthy one.
I find if I pre package my meals ahead of time I also keep to my good choices. I try to weigh my cheese to 1 oz baggies and my meat to 2 oz baggies so when its lunch time I just grab and go. I also do this with left over dinner stuff. I hope that helps you. I also limited my carb intake more in the evening since I have PCOS which makes my body have a hard time to process my carbs. After 4 PM I do not have carbs unless they come from fruits.
Good luck hon you can do this!0 -
Hi Dani.
First of all... Welcome back. You can do this, it takes time, Patience and commitment... but it can be done. This is an awesome group of people for support. If I can help in anyway, please let me know!
- Robin0 -
Baby steps are what got me going in the right direction here, too. I know it's overwhelming when you know the road is so long and have so much to lose. I had 200 to lose, and it seemed so hard, so I started with not even dieting at all, but just learning to be honest with myself about my food choices and logging everything - even the bad days - on here. Once logging wasn't as much of an emotional challenge, I started weeding out one unhealthy habit after another, and now I'm making significant progress and feeling better for it. Get all the emotional support you can, especially from people you know can relate to what you're going through. Follow other success stories to inspire you (I friended a guy named Earl Kennedy on facebook, for instance, since he started at over 900 lbs and has managed to lose 400+ at this point. https://www.facebook.com/earlkennedy913 (and it doesn't hurt that he's also a really nice guy)). It also helps to try and think of it just one day at a time. Don't worry about the days ahead, but just being healthy for today, and challenging yourself a little bit more with each new day. It'll happen for you - honest!0
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Hi there!!
Congrats on getting back up and continuing the fight. Even though it might seem overwhelming right now, it is just a day to day process that we are all working on regardless of if we have a few pounds or a few hundred pounds to lose. Just think about today and making today the best day that you can. Tomorrow will take care of itself!
I didn't look at your diary but I did take a look at your pictures. I see real beauty in you. I hope you do too. Remember that you are worth the fight.
My biggest tip to you is to try to have a positive relationship with food. Food is nourishment and fuel...it is not a crutch when you are sad, it is not a reward when you are successful, it is not an activity to do when you are bored. Eat because it does your body good and makes you feel good.
I really look forward to hearing about your progress and I want you to know that you have a lot of people in your corner cheering for you!0 -
first off congrats on coming back and continuing what you started!! as for tips, id say even starting small helps. one thing that helped me was stopping the use of the word "diet" in a traditional sense. it really is a lifestyle change and it HAS TO BE if you want to keep the weight off long term. starting now your life is changing and your eating lifestyle is changing for the better. start small. small goals helped me get back on track after stuffing my face with junk for a solid 5 months out of stress and depression. last week my goal was to track what i ate and make healthier choices, whatever those might have been for that week. this week i've had a lot easier time and i've challenged myself not to eat any fast food for a week (which for me is reaaaally hard because the last thing i wanna do after an 8 hr shift on my feet is cook and clean). so maybe small goals will help you get "there" and really once you establish a good routine just stick to it until it becomes second nature. good luck! i'm excited to see your progress!!!0
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Chair exercise might be a good option for you to increase your physical activity and work on mobility, without stressing your joints.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/351431-cardio-exercises-while-restricted-to-a-chair/
What she said.
Well Dania, I have to tell you from experience this is really good advice. I have bad knees and my ankles aren't so hot either. So, mobility is a bit of a problem. I can walk, but I realize my knees can buckle at anytime or my ankle can lock up on me or any number of embarrassing things can happen. But, I am not ready for a cane or a walker yet. So, what to do. One day I was watching tv sitting in a swivel chair and I though hey I can just keep moving in this chair it would be like really low impact aerobic. So I do that for exercise. I also march in place in front of the tv if it's yucky out or my knees are twingy, if I fall down inside it's not as big a deal, I will eventually be able to get up and if nothing else my SO will be home at some point in the day. It's also not as embarrassing for me. I really struggle with that issue. I am just under 300 lbs now and I feel like people stare at me when I am out walking. I walk my dog occasionally, it's something I wish I could do everyday I am just not emotionally ready for that plus pain issues.
But, chair exercises are the best. I can watch tv and exercise at the same time. I think you could even do some from a sofa which would be even better IMO its comfy and when you get tired you just stop. There are lots of places on the net that will explain how but here is one site I have this one book marked because so far I am just free styling it
http://www.squidoo.com/chair-exercise
It really does work.
I started dieting accidentally so here is what I found out. That whole grains like oatmeal keep me full a really really long time. I have no will power and eating more whole grains means I don't need it. I have no desire for candy bars or things like that anymore. I try to swap things out like if I want crackers I will have crackers, but my crackers are Triscuits instead of those Cheezits that I love. But, I love my Triscuits now and they are a bit healthier. So, it's not like I am giving up a food, I am just eating a different better for me version. I haven't given up diet sodas and I don't care what people think about that. I don't crave candy or cake so what they think is their problem not mine. I do drink more water though and I would say drinking more water is good advice, because I found out that at my weight it's harder on the kidneys and water helps them. Anyway, by eating oatmeal for breakfast I found it helped me cut about 500 calories a day from my diet and I didn't feel deprived mostly cuz I didn't know I was on a diet.
Also I started a journal about 2 weeks after I started "dieting" and I didn't do it to record what I was eating, but it ended up that way because I was also starting to make homemade food and I was really excited about that, so it was about 2 weeks into the journaling that I started that. I sort of noticed I was eating a little less when I did that, but didn't really think much of it. I wasn't counting calories, but I was becoming calorie aware. I also noticed that I was eating about 3 bowls full of food and that sort of told me volume was important. So, I started adding fresh veggies for volume that resulted in me never feeling deprived, because my tummy was full. To be quite honest a 600 calorie meal makes me feel stuffed for hours. So, I eat about 3 times a day and make sure my food has a lot of volume.
I also switched to a plant based diet. Again it's pretty much about volume. I can fit a lot of volume in a bowl and it will be much lower in calories than just about anything from what my omni diet would have been. I love it, but it took me almost a year to give up cheese, I gave up eggs one day when I ran out, I just didn't buy anymore. Anyway I didn't get to where I am today overnight. Both my size and where I am as far what I eat now goes. I took a whole lot of baby steps a couple of leaps and a couple of bounds. And I think someday I will be trading my walking shoes for running shoes if I ever figure out my pain issues.0 -
Keep going. It's great that you want to lose weight and it's great that you are getting your diet under control. When you lose this weight it will change your life, keep that in your mind . You can do this! It does take time , just be patient and keep trying and I'm sure that you will start to get results! Good luck 0
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Wow Dani!
Look at all the support you're getting.....shows what an amazing site this is & how we're all rooting for you!!!!
Not sure that I can add anything to what has already been said. Take baby steps.....make gradual changes, like swapping just one glass of soda for a glass of water or one cake for an apple.....every little bit helps. A little exercise each day.....whatever you can manage, even if it is from a chair. Be honest with your food diary....you're only kidding yourself otherwise. Keep your diary open and listen to advice given. There are SO many people here who want to help you.
It won't be an quick journey....after all, you didn't gain the weight overnight......and a slow, steady loss makes it easier to keep off.
Look how far you've come, not how far you have to go :flowerforyou:
DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!0 -
Just take it one day at a time. One meal at at time. Yo can do it. Don't give up... Stay focus .... I0
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1) Swap your full sugar soda for diet soda / water / green tea / crystal light.
Try that for 2 weeks and I guarantee the weight will start coming off.
If you can manage it then
2) Every day eat a 3 egg omlette or source of protein you like (chicken, oily fish, steak, whatever) with a huge serving of salad and / or green leafy vegetables (as much as you can physically handle eating...)
That's it.0 -
Maybe a good book that will unravel the emotional eating thing step by step? I can definitely recommend Linda Spangles 100 days of weight loss. She has written other books on emotional eating too which are probably just as good, I just happen to know that one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Days-Weight-Loss-Successful/dp/14016037340 -
Thanks!Maybe a good book that will unravel the emotional eating thing step by step? I can definitely recommend Linda Spangles 100 days of weight loss. She has written other books on emotional eating too which are probably just as good, I just happen to know that one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Days-Weight-Loss-Successful/dp/14016037340 -
Good luck! 0
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