I am afraid to even post this...
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You can do this!!!
You've already taken the first steps, just keep up with it!! Start small & remember---it's not going to happen overnight. It's going to take time, determination & patience. You WILL have bad days---you'll eat bad, not exercise etc. DON'T GIVE UP. You have all the power to change your life--keep a positive attitude. Make a list of why you're making a lifestyle change & look at it every day.
MFP is a great place for support. I just joined a few days ago & it's amazing! We can all support & be there for each other through our weight loss journeys. Feel free to add me
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So glad you posted Tom! Like everyone else said, one day at a time. Just start logging. There are lots of good posts that'll help you gain knowledge. If you feel like taking a walk, even a short one, that'll help too. If you have a smart phone look at the Striiv app - it makes walking fun. We are all learning here - you can do it. Praying for you!0
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Hi Tom,
First of all - many kudos to you for having the courage to post your story and admit that you need help, and are needing to change. This is not a matter of wanting to look better and feel better, this is a matter of life and death. You HAVE to do this. And with the right support and keeping with the courage and drive you've already shown, you WILL do it.
I am one of those lucky people who have been genetically fairly blessed, and I have never been overweight, and if I do put on a few lbs, I lose it easily. However, I do sometimes let myself go - I start eating badly, not exercising, and end up feeling miserable. We all go through it. We each have to to figure out what it is that's causing us to allow ourselves to 'fall', and figure out how to overcome it - in your case you said you lost your uncle (I'm very sorry!). It's a matter of finding other ways to cope rather than turning to food. I'm sure you already know all this.
Diets are crap. Being healthy is simple: make healthy food choices, exercise regularly, calories out must be more than calories in, and all that jazz. It really IS that simple. It's getting into that mindset and making that your lifestyle that is difficult. I would love to help you in any way I can. I have never had professional nutrition/fitness training, but I do know a thing or two and I know what works and doesn't work.
You've got this, Tom. and I would love to be with you every step of the way, cheering you on. I am already excited to see before and after shots. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
ps - friend request sent! 0 -
Hey Tom as you can see there is an amazing amount of support on MFP!!! I have too tried failed tried failed time and time again until joining MFP... I have taken the focus off how much I weigh and focussing on mini 10 week goals.. I take photos of myself every 5-6 weeks on an app called "see me get fit".. That way I can see the changes instead of stressing over the numbers on a scale... Retraiining your actions and thoughts about food isn't easy but it does come in time... Log on every day and log your foods make yourself accountable for what you eat and what quantities... It really does work "You can do it". Donna
Friend request sent :-)0 -
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IF ONLY YOU BELIEVE
YOU CAN DO THIS IF YOU BELIEVE
NEVER GIVE UP.......THE ONLY ADVICE I HAVE AT THIS TIME IS TO DO THIS FOR YOURSELF........NOT FOR ANYONE ELSE.......YOU DESERVE IT
CONGRATULATIONS ON TAKING THIS LIFESTYLE CHANGE FOREVER......FEEL FREE TO ADD ME TOO0 -
Dude, I couldn't read all the posts. But, do not be afraid. Check the support man! It's awesome.
Even with all of it, this is for you and to be done by you. Kick *kitten* friends are a huge help though. Jump in. See your goal every day. Picture it. Ask for help, advice and motovation. Doesn't matter what you start as, it's where your going to finish. You want it, truly want it, it will be yours. People are capable of amazing things. You are no different.
Good luck, request if you like.
Cheers.0 -
Remember- Don't do anything today that you are not willing to do every day of your life. If you burn out on food restrictions or too much of a work out, you will burn out completely and quit. Also, you do not fail unless you quit. Drawbacks are natural, and a few added lbs in the beginning are to be expected. So proud of you for making the first step!0
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Tom, this is totally do-able. You are in the right place and you are not wasting your time. You are here among friends! And I never discuss my feline companions on MFP. I reserve those conversations for another website.0
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, "Team work makes the dream work!"
Not corny at all...That is what the man and I say all the time.....AND TEAMWORK DOES MAKE THE DREAM WORK0 -
Hello Tom.
I have tried a number of different diets over the years including Weight Watchers, Atkins, Diet Pills, etc.
About a month ago I decided to buy the book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet." He used to publish a column in the newspaper and I remembered reading about his advice to those who wrote in.
I am amazed at the results I am having with this way of eating. It is cheap and it is working for me! I have lost eight pounds and have not been too hungry. You can eat anything that does not contain processed sugar or flour. I use myfitness pal to track what I eat and how much.
You might look for the book in your local library. I paid $14.99 for a copy a Hastings. It might also be available at Costco or Sam's.
My weight was at an all time high and I just decided it was time to do something. I want to loose another 40 or 50 pounds and think I can do that by Christmas 2013 as well.
Good luck!
Diane0 -
Hi Tom,
I have empathy for your inability to make the consitant necessary changes to get the weight off and gone for good. I am having that difficulty myself. I am also struggling with making it happen. Mine has not been a lifelong issue but one that has been there for the past 20 years and appears to be getting worse.
For me I am currently identifying depression as part of the issue and the thoughts of why even try as its not going to make a difference. That negative self talk is a true success breaker so I am working on that as much as possible. I have typically been successful with most things I have attempted in my life but this one is a real issue for me...... I am still doing a lot of soul searching to try to figure out way.
Keeping people away may or may not be part of it for me at first and has now become a habit.
I wish you luck and much success....
Baby steps.......... one step at a time.
Kathleen0 -
Bump0
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Hi Tom
I didn't read all the other posts, so I'm not sure what's been said already (cos I'm LAZY!) but I wanted to give an encouraging (?) warning...
This won't all go smoothly for you. You will have good days and bad days. Bad weeks, even. You will sometimes make choices and decisions that you'll regret. You'll eat things you shouldn't. You'll make excuses for why you're not eating and moving like you need to.
But don't give up.
To err, as they say, is human. Failing is normal. But persevering through and beyond failure takes strength, and patience, and flexibility of mind.
If you have a bad day, or week, or even month, don't decide there's no point. Don't give up on yourself and your future. Shrug it off, look forwards, and keep going.
You sound like a decent, smart guy, and you've just acquired a big ol' support network. Ask for as much help, advice, motivation etc as you need. And keep on keepin' on.
I hope to see a lot of you on the forums from today!
(oh, and friend request sent)0 -
First and foremost, I'm so glad you are here with us. We understand the battle you are going through. Whether we have 5 pounds to lose or 500 pounds to lose, we know how tough the battle is! Good for you taking a stand!!! Yay for all of us! The most important thing is to keep positive, don't beat yourself up for the past choices, and take it one moment at a time. I started last year, lost 28 pounds, and then in October I fell back into bad habits. I'm no where near done with this battle, but I've come back and that's all I can do, is keep battling it. I'm going to get there and I'm not giving up no matter what. I look at it as taking a detour on my road to success. Glad the detour wasn't any longer... haha. You've taken the first step by posting and asking for help. You CAN do this. It might not be as quick as you like, as I've learned, but you definitely can take control. We can learn together if you'd like. I know I need this site and people like you. I can't do it on my own at this point. Feel free to add me. Have a blessed day. You are here for a reason. 0
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Welcome. I wish you all the luck and encouragement in the world. If you need us, we are here for you. You can do it!0
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First and foremost, I'm so glad you are here with us. We understand the battle you are going through. Whether we have 5 pounds to lose or 500 pounds to lose, we know how tough the battle is! Good for you taking a stand!!! Yay for all of us! The most important thing is to keep positive, don't beat yourself up for the past choices, and take it one moment at a time. I started last year, lost 28 pounds, and then in October I fell back into bad habits. I'm no where near done with this battle, but I've come back and that's all I can do, is keep battling it. I'm going to get there and I'm not giving up no matter what. I look at it as taking a detour on my road to success. Glad the detour wasn't any longer... haha. You've taken the first step by posting and asking for help. You CAN do this. It might not be as quick as you like, as I've learned, but you definitely can take control. We can learn together if you'd like. I know I need this site and people like you. I can't do it on my own at this point. Feel free to add me. Have a blessed day. You are here for a reason.
That is an amazingly good point. Besides just being concerned with goals, and what we want we have to prepare ourselves for the times we trip and fall and how we're going to deal with these issues. It's astonishing how many people have reached out to me. From coaches to moms all inspiring me and motivating me. All I can continue to say is I hope I don't let anyone down.0 -
First and foremost, I'm so glad you are here with us. We understand the battle you are going through. Whether we have 5 pounds to lose or 500 pounds to lose, we know how tough the battle is! Good for you taking a stand!!! Yay for all of us! The most important thing is to keep positive, don't beat yourself up for the past choices, and take it one moment at a time. I started last year, lost 28 pounds, and then in October I fell back into bad habits. I'm no where near done with this battle, but I've come back and that's all I can do, is keep battling it. I'm going to get there and I'm not giving up no matter what. I look at it as taking a detour on my road to success. Glad the detour wasn't any longer... haha. You've taken the first step by posting and asking for help. You CAN do this. It might not be as quick as you like, as I've learned, but you definitely can take control. We can learn together if you'd like. I know I need this site and people like you. I can't do it on my own at this point. Feel free to add me. Have a blessed day. You are here for a reason.
That is an amazingly good point. Besides just being concerned with goals, and what we want we have to prepare ourselves for the times we trip and fall and how we're going to deal with these issues. It's astonishing how many people have reached out to me. From coaches to moms all inspiring me and motivating me. All I can continue to say is I hope I don't let anyone down.
Don't worry about anyone except you, this is your journey and the only person that you are truly accountable to is yourself. We will encourage you, kick your butt and offer emotional support - but remember this is for YOU. Congratulations on taking the first step.
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Hi Tom --- Well you certainly are a popular guy on here. You have soooo many responses already. I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents. I am a personal trainer and while I do believe diet is going to be your most important thing, there is fantastic news for you regarding exercise. I always tell all my clients that are pretty overweight that they are lucky in a very important way right now.
If you simply start walking, you are going to burn sooooo many calories. As the weight comes off, unfortunately, you will burn less and less but for now your heart is going to beat like crazy just going for a walk (and therefore you are going to burn a lot of calories).....so take advantage of this time, and if you are able, go for walks everyday. You will see dramatic results!
And don't let weight get you down...you can turn your body into whatever you want to. Just stick to your calories on here and start walking and you will hit your goal for sure!!!! Keep us all posted : )0 -
I used to be 335lbs and I am only 5'4. I was totally inactive, had sleep apnea, my joints hurt all the time, and I just felt awful and embarassed. I know the fear and desperation you feel, but trust me - YOU CAN DO THIS! I have lost 90lbs and I go to the gym 5 days a week now. I am someone I never would have believed I could be. It just takes time and dedication.
My biggest piece of advice is to not expect perfection from yourself. Bad habits take time to break. You're going to have slip ups, and that is okay! Expect them and have a plan in place to get back on track. Rather than beating yourself up over small hiccups and mistakes, remind yourself "I had all those bad habits for years, they aren't going to change overnight!". Take time to think about what lead to your slip up, maybe identify some things you could have done to avoid it or things you could have done differently, and then KEEP GOING. Struggling isn't failing! Struggling isn't weakness. If you struggle from time to time you are normal and human. The only trick to this is to keep going, to not give up even when it feels like it is all pointless. If you keep going and keep trying you WILL get the weight off and feel better.
Best of luck, my friend.0 -
I used to be 335lbs and I am only 5'4. I was totally inactive, had sleep apnea, my joints hurt all the time, and I just felt awful and embarassed. I know the fear and desperation you feel, but trust me - YOU CAN DO THIS! I have lost 90lbs and I go to the gym 5 days a week now. I am someone I never would have believed I could be. It just takes time and dedication.
My biggest piece of advice is to not expect perfection from yourself. Bad habits take time to break. You're going to have slip ups, and that is okay! Expect them and have a plan in place to get back on track. Rather than beating yourself up over small hiccups and mistakes, remind yourself "I had all those bad habits for years, they aren't going to change overnight!". Take time to think about what lead to your slip up, maybe identify some things you could have done to avoid it or things you could have done differently, and then KEEP GOING. Struggling isn't failing! Struggling isn't weakness. If you struggle from time to time you are normal and human. The only trick to this is to keep going, to not give up even when it feels like it is all pointless. If you keep going and keep trying you WILL get the weight off and feel better.
Best of luck, my friend.
Thank you for taking the time to tell me about yourself, it's so inspirational to see what others have went through and I'd love to help you in any way I could. There will be a day though when I can do for others what you have all done for me. Thank you so much and I don't think you even know how much power your story has given me! But it has. 0 -
First off.. you should see this as a HUGE accomplishment, NOTHING to be ashamed of, everyone on here has the same goal, so Congrats on your first accomplishment!!! Second, YOU Can do this, tell yourself this every minute of every day. Everyday is an opportunity to learn something new, realize what we can do better and taking the time to adjust it..
There are SO many good ideas/advice on this website i'm sure w/ your consistency and the help of everyone/everything on MFP you will do fantastic!!
Sending you lots of positive thoughts and encouragement!!0 -
you can do it .. i just lost 103 lbs .. have you ever had your throiyd checked0
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you can do it .. i just lost 103 lbs .. have you ever had your thyroid checked
Yeah, I've had full blood work ups and the only thing that they informed me of is my body does not process, processed wheat and flour well, it can't break it down correctly.0 -
Half the battle is just doing something about it, the hardest part is living with the changes. YOU CAN DO IT TOM!! AWWW YEAH!!0
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Half the battle is just doing something about it, the hardest part is living with the changes. YOU CAN DO IT TOM!! AWWW YEAH!!
Thank you so very much for your support!0 -
Go, Tom!0 -
I read somewhere in your responses that you hoped you didn't let anyone down......
The only person you need to worry about is YOU! In reality, the only person who really benefits or loses from your actions is YOU.
I'm excited for you that you have chosen to embark on this journey and share your progress with us. I can remember my "day 1" -- January 18, 2009 -- 399 pounds. It's hard. It sucks. It hurts - emotionally and physically. It'll build you up and tear you down - sometimes all in one day. And, when you look back on your journey someday, you will proudly say, "I did it. And, I'm better for the pain and struggles. I can be me now. Just me."
You'll be amazed at who you are when you can finally be just you
I am back at MFP after having my baby and I have about 20 pounds to lose, but I have done this and YOU CAN DO THIS. From 399 to 183........... The best thing I have ever done. I'm proud of you for starting. Feel free to add me if you want. Have a great day.0 -
I read somewhere in your responses that you hoped you didn't let anyone down......
The only person you need to worry about is YOU! In reality, the only person who really benefits or loses from your actions is YOU.
I'm excited for you that you have chosen to embark on this journey and share your progress with us. I can remember my "day 1" -- January 18, 2009 -- 399 pounds. It's hard. It sucks. It hurts - emotionally and physically. It'll build you up and tear you down - sometimes all in one day. And, when you look back on your journey someday, you will proudly say, "I did it. And, I'm better for the pain and struggles. I can be me now. Just me."
You'll be amazed at who you are when you can finally be just you
I am back at MFP after having my baby and I have about 20 pounds to lose, but I have done this and YOU CAN DO THIS. From 399 to 183........... The best thing I have ever done. I'm proud of you for starting. Feel free to add me if you want. Have a great day.
OMG! Congratulations on the weight lost already! You're an amazng inspiration, thank you for taking the time to tell me about yourself!0 -
Good luck buddy, we're here for you0
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