623lbs, Trying to Get Going Again

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Replies

  • ghostlyy
    ghostlyy Posts: 16 Member
    Its so inspiring to see not only that you've shared your story, but that so many people have come forward with inspiring tips and tricks and encouragement. I would love to be a part of your support system! You CAN be an inspiration, all you have to do is remember that this whole time, you've been treating yourself badly. YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY! And your body DESERVES to be healthy, so start treating it right! The one day at a time thing is the best way to go about it. BRAG about your small successes! Stay motivated! Add me on here or check out this MOTIVATIONAL blog I have: theskinnypanda.tumblr.com
  • Shellbug75
    Shellbug75 Posts: 74 Member
    Glad you are back. You cannot think of this as a diet. You have to think of it as a lifelong change. It is hard in the beginning. Nobody wants to give up the food they love. I know I didn't. Your self esteem is pretty low right now. I guarantee once you start losing the weight, you will start feeling better about yourself. Are you a candidate for weight loss surgery? If so, maybe you should think about that too. It may help get you started on losing the weight on your own.

    Try and think of some of the foods that get you into trouble. There are usually recipes out there that are a little healthier. I am a huge chocolate lover. Now when I crave chocolate, I eat a Fiber One 90 calorie brownie. I didn't care for them at first, but now I love them.

    Try to watch your salt intake, drink more water, and keep your portions smaller. Log everything. Even if you go over your calories. You will only cheat yourself if you don't log it. And don't give up. We have all fallen off the wagon at one time or another. You CAN do this! Good luck!
  • salcha76
    salcha76 Posts: 287 Member
    wait, i'm confused.....if you want to loose weight...why eat ice cream for breakfast? Can you seek therapy? A counselor? learn to love you & realize that you deserve to be respected ? your body....your mind...your heart.....seek peace.......pray. Sending light and love your way.....best of luck to you on this journey.
  • susanmc31
    susanmc31 Posts: 287 Member
    You are starting on the right path Dani! You will find lots of love and support here. Don't be afraid to ask for help or encouragement. We all want you to succeed! You CAN and WILL do this! Take the advice you've received and put it to good use!

    Best of luck! Add me if you like :flowerforyou:
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    At this point it would seem like you choices are to lose weight or be incapacitated or dead.

    Which do you choose? If you choose the former get rid of the ice cream and all the other garbage you are eating (I mean throw it away and don't buy it again) and start eating like you intend to live.

    Others can support you, but they can't make you do the right thing. That has to come from you. Good luck, I hope you make the right choice.
  • Lauramh31
    Lauramh31 Posts: 95 Member
    I think the others have given you great advice, I just wanted to say I'm seriously impressed and inspired by you and I think you are amazing for starting this journey!! Good for you, Dani! I was kind of sad myself the day I realized I couldnt' eat whatever I wanted to all the time anymore, so I totally get that feeling. I just started doing it little by little and that worked and now I'm eating fairly healthy. You can do this, Dani. Post wheenver you need support and friend people that inspire you and will help you - it will get easier, promise. Good luck, we're rooting for you!! :flowerforyou:
  • MusiKat54
    MusiKat54 Posts: 4 Member
    it's small things. You can do it but you have to realize you didn't gain the weight overnight, so making overnight lifestyle changes are hard! As a girl who still weighs over 300lbs, despite 23lbs of weight loss, I have learned the following things:

    1. Swap things out. If chips are your weakness, try snack crackers like Goldfish. They have tons of flavors and you can eat between 50-60 of them for under 150 calories. Triscuit thins are another great option. I do still occasionally eat Cheez Its but I portion them out as it is easy to eat 3 portions at once without realizing!

    2. Substitute bread/rolls. I only eat those 100 calorie sandwich thins. I toast them, I make grilled cheese with them. I don't eat any regular bread.

    3. You can make a great lowfat pizza using the low carb Flat Out wraps. A small amount of sauce, low fat cheese and lots of veggies. You can also make low fat taco salad using those tortilla strips for salad (instead of a shell or taco bowl) and 95% lean ground beef or ground turkey or chicken.

    4. Don't beat yourself up if you do cheat. Allow yourself treats every now and then and if you do go a bit overboard, try to do something simple like walking in place for 20 minutes. You can burn between 100-200 calories depending on your pace.

    5. Reduce the amount of sweets but don't feel like you have to fully cut them out. Skinny Cow and Weight Watchers both have a variety of treats that are better choices.

    Lastly, realize that this is a long road and that you will have to make changes to lose a significant amount of weight. Focus on portion control. If you are going to have something, keep it to one serving and read packages to understand what a serving for that food looks like. You can do it!
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    ^or just stop eating processed foods altogether and watch the weight fall off you.
  • cwmp
    cwmp Posts: 29 Member
    believe in yourself. you are your biggest critic. its hard and can be no fun at times but remind yourself that the only thing that matters in it all is how you feel about yourself and only you can change it. baby steps. I am not at my goal and still see myself as bigger than people around me but what keeps me going I knowing I am doing the best that I can do for where I am now. I hope I made sense. I tend to babble. goods luck with it all and congrats on making the first steps.
  • kayh333
    kayh333 Posts: 1
    Hi. It takes courage to decide you want to change your life, and whilst some journeys may take longer than others we all want to get to the same destination a healthier and happier us! I have always struggled with my weight and I am definately an emotional eater. I always feel like it is an impossibly long journey and get depressed at the thought of giving up my favourite things forever, but fairly recently someone gave me some great advice. Don't think about forever, the only decision you can make is here and now. Don't think about what you should do, think about what you want. Do you want that cookie or that bag of chips or are you going to settle for some fruit? When you answer the question remember that you are only deciding this time, it doesn't mean you can't decide something different next time, this isn;t a huge commitment or a massive failure, it's just a chioce. Also think about what you really want, picture yourself fitter and healthier, doing some of the things you want to do but haven't been able to do, accept that making a healthy chice now moves you a tiny step closer to that and making an unhelthy one moves you a tiny step further away. Then ask the question again. If you still end up having the cookie, don't dwell on it or let it lead to a binge just acknowledge that it was your choice at that moment and move on. I don't always remember to do these things and I don't always make the right decision but I am getting better and over the last year I have lost 30lbs, but more importantly my choices are healthier more often without even having to try too hard! Good luck on your journey and remember to think about one tiny step at a time!
  • Hi Dani,

    I think that you should not call it a diet, because a diet makes you feel like you're being restricted. I think you should just swap the unhealthy foods you eat with healthier alternatives. For example, if you want something sweet like ice cream, try a delicious sorbet. Or if you want chips, eat pita bread. That's what I do. I understand what it's like to start your fitness plan and end up eating bad the days or weeks before you start because I am an emotional eater. Just think of each accomplishment as progress, and don't beat yourself up over mistakes, just learn from them and try to improve :) This is what I do when I cannot find the motivation to work out: I have all my things gathered the day before, and if I still don't feel like it, in my mind I say Just Do It. Find things and people that give you strength. I think you can do it and I really hope this helps! ^^


    -Taylor
  • pepgab
    pepgab Posts: 80 Member
    I have found that if I set up little goals for myself I do better. Like this week I will not drink any sodas. Just a week and then the next week I pick something else to work on. Usually after I don't drink sodas for a week then next week when I can I really don't crave them as much.

    Good luck. You can do this. It will be hard but you can push through and be successful.
  • MusiKat54
    MusiKat54 Posts: 4 Member
    Sure that is always the ideal way to go about it. However, some people physically can't make a change like that overnight. Stepping yourself off those types of food is better than continuing to eat them and wallow.
  • Foxtrot2N
    Foxtrot2N Posts: 184 Member
    I am starting out way, way, wayyy overweight myself and it's not because I don't like food. I found that starting out here and tracking my intake helped me start considering if I really wanted another serving of the food I'm eating. When you can actually see the numbers and watch them climb it helps you stay more focused and determined.
    Also, I approach this change in my eating habits the same way I did quitting smoking. Quitting puts forever in your head and it can be hard to wrap your mind around that and accept it. So, what I did was I never said I'm quitting smoking, I'm just not going to have a cigarette right now. I would put it off an hour and by that time I was preoccupied and didn't smoke it. Working on 1 hour at a time let me get my traction. I'm doing the same with food. I'm not quitting my favorite foods, I'm making a healthier, smarter choich right NOW. That food may be an option or an issue down the road but I am only working on the next hour or two. Taking it in small steps really makes it much easier to deal with and stick too. Good luck and keep going!!! 1 hour at a time...LOL
  • earvizu92
    earvizu92 Posts: 320 Member
    You got this girl!! :)
  • YOU CAN DO IT! Just one step at a time. FIND people you can rely on to offer words of encouragement. We are out there!
  • proctor78
    proctor78 Posts: 51
    wait, i'm confused.....if you want to loose weight...why eat ice cream for breakfast? Can you seek therapy? A counselor? learn to love you & realize that you deserve to be respected ? your body....your mind...your heart.....seek peace.......pray. Sending light and love your way.....best of luck to you on this journey.

    Exactly my thoughts gklad someone said it....
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    If the hunger is not physical. Eating food is never going to satisfy it.

    Just try it get through ONE DAY making healthier choices and see how good it makes you feel.

    Good luck with your journey.
  • criscollrj
    criscollrj Posts: 30 Member
    Thinking of you on your journey! I don't know that I have any new advice over what has been given here, but I wanted to just encourage you that you have done great to make the step of logging your food. That is how I started here as well, in January, didn't make any decisions to restrict, just wanted to start logging. I have lost 10 pounds and am just eating in moderation but not cutting anything out. And I would agree with whoever said to find out what your TDEE is - there are posts about that - and maybe you already did that and came up with the 4000.

    Good luck and God bless!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    wait, i'm confused.....if you want to loose weight...why eat ice cream for breakfast? Can you seek therapy? A counselor? learn to love you & realize that you deserve to be respected ? your body....your mind...your heart.....seek peace.......pray. Sending light and love your way.....best of luck to you on this journey.

    OP is clearly food addicted and I think she has left the building because she really doesn't want to hear what we have to offer in the way of advice. In the hope that she is lurking here still, I offer a link to the website of a "food addiction conference" that explains food addiction from a physical and an emotional perspective. http://www.foodaddictionsummit.org/index.htm

    Dania, please, get some help. You are digging your grave with your teeth and you don't appear to care. I know that you know eating a lot of ice cream is very destructive to any possible weight loss goals. The same is true of many of the other things you eat. Why do it? You don't have to. There is help available. Please, fight for your life. You are worth it.
  • beckystahnke
    beckystahnke Posts: 41 Member
    Please please PLEASE read "Intuitive Eating". It changed my entire philosophy about food.

    http://www.intuitiveeating.org/
  • xMonroeMisfit
    xMonroeMisfit Posts: 411 Member
    I commend you for coming back. If you need some support, FR me

    Good Luck :)
  • pspetralia
    pspetralia Posts: 963 Member
    wait, i'm confused.....if you want to loose weight...why eat ice cream for breakfast? Can you seek therapy? A counselor? learn to love you & realize that you deserve to be respected ? your body....your mind...your heart.....seek peace.......pray. Sending light and love your way.....best of luck to you on this journey.

    Exactly my thoughts gklad someone said it....

    Ditto. I would add that eating a box of Girl Scout cookies for lunch needs to be changed, too. Perhaps try freezing them in smaller batches to help with portion control.
    I would also recommend planning food out a day ahead. It will help you stay on track and not be overwhelmed hen you are hungry.
    Good luck!
  • dania201
    dania201 Posts: 48 Member
    Thank you everybody for your advice--its very useful. Some of the comments might be well-intentioned and ill-placed, but I appreciate the support I'm getting here none-the-less.

    Yes, Friday I had a "regular" day again because of the stress of the bomber...but I've logged two days in a row with only 4,000 calories. I've cut out soda and added a lot of water: I'm happy with the progress I'm making.
  • NikinCilla
    NikinCilla Posts: 129 Member
    Hi Everybody. I posted a while back on the introduction thread here, perhaps useful for background:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/801267-about-600lbs-time-to-lose-a-few

    But now that I've been on MFP for a while, I thought maybe I could start posting here too? So admittedly these last few months have been hard for me, I think that deciding to lose weight itself is quite an emotional rollercoaster for me. As much as its hard being the size that I am right now, the actual thought of restricting myself of what I love to be on a diet really sucks, and I think the hardest thing is to actually feel it emotionally ready to be doing it. I don't know if that makes any sense, but its just this murky difficult thing, I think.

    So yeah, its kind of crazy, but I feel that the stress of being about to diet has actually been making me a bad eater lately. Or, let's just say it hasn't helped, lol. I sent away for a heavier-duty scale a while back because I figured it would help to have one that works for me, so that I could actually monitor my weight. But since I've had it, I've just watched the number go up. :(

    Today it read 623.

    Having now GAINED 10 more pounds since I started at MFP, rather than lose 20 (which was my goal) is a little disheartening. But, yesterday I was under 4,000 calories for the first time, so I'm very proud of that. Any thoughts on how to turn this into a long term success?

    Thank you guys for your support! Hopefully I can keep the victories coming.

    -Dani


    Congrats on taking the 1st step & posting :) I agree with the baby steps maybe setting acheivable goals & from there onwards :) best of luck & we are all here to support!
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    I believe the word diet alone can cause a emotional toll in my experience its better to think of it as a life style change little goals are key over exertion causes discouragement and also be sure your goals are realistic! Nonetheless I hope you the best keep your mind focus on a healthy future and a you can attitude! Buddy system does wonders! Add me if you wish!
  • robynsmith87
    robynsmith87 Posts: 2 Member
    Yes, Friday I had a "regular" day again because of the stress of the bomber...

    ^^^ THIS.

    I wish you luck with your weight loss journey and I hope that you can fix your relationship with food so that you don't turn back to your old habits because of stress or other emotions. As soon as I realized that turning to food was a temporary relief and actually made me feel worse in the long run, my whole attitude changed.

    Turn off the news, get outside and go for a walk.
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
    Try adding healthy food choices to your diet your eating a lot of empty calories that will only curb your appetite for a short period! I know fighting a sweet tooth is hard but keep A I CAN ATTITUDE! HIgh protein and high fiber is the way to go! Good luck!

    Pizza and cookies... I'm sorry not trying to be mean I just find this mind boggling..

    I know you can defeat those food demons you seem to be a sweet genuine person from what I've read!

    Look in the mirror there is a Beautiful you!

    Remember if someone can't accept you at your worse they don't deserve you at your best!

    You must have the drive to help yourself before anyone can help you!

    I wish you a healthy tomorrow!

    :flowerforyou:
  • nicola1141
    nicola1141 Posts: 613 Member
    Thank you everybody for your advice--its very useful. Some of the comments might be well-intentioned and ill-placed, but I appreciate the support I'm getting here none-the-less.

    Yes, Friday I had a "regular" day again because of the stress of the bomber...but I've logged two days in a row with only 4,000 calories. I've cut out soda and added a lot of water: I'm happy with the progress I'm making.

    Those are huge victories! Congrats!!
  • MsBobLoblaw
    MsBobLoblaw Posts: 171 Member
    Thank you everybody for your advice--its very useful. Some of the comments might be well-intentioned and ill-placed, but I appreciate the support I'm getting here none-the-less.

    Yes, Friday I had a "regular" day again because of the stress of the bomber...but I've logged two days in a row with only 4,000 calories. I've cut out soda and added a lot of water: I'm happy with the progress I'm making.

    Good job on cutting down on the soda!! That's a great move!! :happy:
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