Looking for advice

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/bigguybigrib

Is this for real?

There is puppy chow on that list. o_O

Ahh, nevermind I see that is some sort of sweets recipe. Ignore me, lol.

Puppy chow is the *kitten*! Please tell me you've had it so I know you weren't denied a childhood. lol.

Hey there! Welcome to the best weight loss pal ever!

It's simple, calories in v. calories out and getting into shape!

I would cut out fast food and soda first and foremost!

Good luck!

Hi there, I have been on MFP for a few years, and also ended up having weight loss surgery (twice in 12 years) so am my own afficianado for both sides of the fence LOL. My highest weight was about 400lbs and i absolutely know that i could easily end up larger than that.

I also know what it was like at 400...how impossible moving was, how hard it was to all of a sudden eat less/differently, how no one really seemed to understand the challenges that are specific to larger folks (like the "WOAH looked at your son's diary" comments" - I truly believe people don't mean to offend, they just can't quite understand) like sitting in chairs, getting up at all, having pains everywhere, etc. I know what it's like to feel that change is impossible. I know what it's like to have to keep on trucking, to constantly fall off the wagon and get back on it. I know what it's like to hate coming into public forums knowing you are the minority and having a hard time finding people that can actually be supportive (i think the folks that "feel" left out tend to not be speaking up), etc.

With that said, yes of course, it's all about calorie deficit. But more than that i think it's about:
* Slowly, slowly changing a thing or two at a time so you don't feel deprived
* Finding things that are suitable replacements for things you love that aren't great for you
* Cutting out the liquid calories and easy to eat a gazillion of snack foods (like chips)
* As possible, slowly try to move
* Logging everything

What that means to me? I can't offer you tons of excellent scientific info, but i'll tell you the few key changes that really put me on the road to success (i'm only halfway there, have lost 120 and still have 100 to go!):

I loved cheese, am made of cheese, continuing to eat cheese the way i always had meant i couldn't realistically reduce calories. I found that laughing cow (while nutritional crap, i know) made it possible for me to feel like i was eating cheese and cut out the majority of cheese...now i rarely eat cheese, and when i do it's laughing cow or a sprinkling of a strong cheese like parmesan or feta or blue....so i can get the "mmm cheese" without the calories/fat, etc...mind you, my overall goal now besides weight loss is to eat as close to the source as possible and not eat chemical junk, but you know what, first things first and getting healthier and able to move is probably more important than being a purist in the beginning (in the end, they often end up hand in hand for folks who truly get healthy, not just thin).

When i needed volume, i found that roasting a pile of veggies and using lots of lettuce/veggies as a base for a yummy topping helped me to get volume with less calories (also, i was a veggie hater, but found that i loved veggies bbqd or roasted, then i became the veggie lover - still hate them steamed and stuff LOL). I think when we are eating a certain volume and try to cut that amount more than like 20% our body notices and fights. Using veggies/lettuce (aka low calorie fillers) along with the yummy stuff helped me to feel satiated but with less calories. This might be an especially useful technique for your son too! Volumetrics was interesting to read in that regard, talks a lot about using the higher volume food, for instance eat grapes instead of raisins, to get volume and feel satiated with less calories. I don't subscribe to a certain diet philosophy really, but you know, some things have impacted me and taught me things along the way.

I had to remove things that are "carriers", meaning the breads/chips etc...that i like to use as utensils for eating yummy stuff....aka i love to dip and spread...and dips and spreads are where the calories are, or at least it was for me. Removing bread from my diet overall made a huge difference for me. Now if i want "fillings" i use low calorie things like lettuce to wrap it in, or corn tortillas, etc.

Simply logging your food is life changing. I don't care if you eat 10,000 calories a day, just writing it down and seeing it helps you to start to understand how to replace and change and work with your food to get it down to less calories and that will start to effect change, no doubt as it might have already with your son.

It took a long time, a few years, of slowly changing habits before i noticed that my preferences had actually changed. I loved deep fried stuff, now when i try it after so long, i'm like "whoah, where's the flavor?", i never order the way i used to, trying to figure out what is the yummiest thing i can have at every meal....now i look for what is the healthiest thing i can order, and if i need it, will add something to it to up the yum factor....what i found out though, is once i order the "healthier" thing, once i had a few bites, well....i wasn't salivating for the "yummiest"...i was satisfied enough to be happy with the healthier thing. So don't give up. It takes a long time to get used to "less yummy" stuff....but eventually it does become your food of choice and you actually prefer it and find it yummier!

I didn't look at your diaries, and now that i've had sleeve surgery, mine is hidden, but i'm happy to be here for you and your son if you'd like to add me. Good for you guys for joining up. Ignore any negatives...this is a public forum where you'll get all opinions, even the crappy ones (you know what they say about opinions, everyone has one!) and just accept that this is your own journey and your biggest key to success is slowly figuring out what makes you healthy AND happy. Once you have a number of friends that can relate or support you in the way that makes you guys feel good, you'll really have a great time here on MFP.

One last thing, don't be afraid of those self help books. I'm not saying read everything out there, but some things can give you little epiphanies that really help. Volumetrics did open my eyes to how to get volume when i needed it without all the calories, and the BECK diet program (it's more behavior modification) workbook really was great in that it slowly ramped you up to creating and using simple tools to remind yourself and keep yourself on track. So much about eating is mental for some of us, and that might stay forever, but finding good ways to distract or remind ourselves can be really valuable in this journey.

And good for you for supporting your son. I wish i still had my kids at home so i could teach them what i've learned. He is lucky to have you. And you are lucky to have him..which led you here, so win win in my book!

Welcome aboard!

Welcome to MFP! If you truly are on this site to lose weight and take care of yourself then I welcome you. I have read of some your son's posts and I am in disbelief. I'm sorry if I sound rude and offensive, but your son's daily intake of over 100,000 calories is unbelievable. How can one person eat that much? And if he truly is consuming that much, then why are your enabling him to do so? I welcome you to the site as well as your son, but I think that you and your son may need some more assistance than what MFP can provide. Good luck!

This^^^. The stats you are showing are bordering on genuinely unbelievable - hence the cry of Troll Posting. If you are both genuinely in this position, then welcome aboard and please get some professional help. This is a great site and will get real results when used correctly.

In answer to your original question, tackle 1 issue at a time, starting with an easy one like swapping regular soda for diet soda or instead of going for a burger with cheese, go for just the burger, or instead of 6 of something, only have 3. There is lots you can do to break this down into small chunks. And when genuinely helpful people offer sensible advice, take it on board.

Apply those two principles and I am sure you will start to make progress in the right direction!

Hey guys
Thank you for all the advice
both me and al are going to begin to drink more water and cut out soda tomorrow
i got a lot of people asking about my sons food intake
and saying he isnt making progress
what you dont understand
is that he usually eats quite a bit more than this
with the exeption of today he had a really tough day and somewhat of a relapse
which i agreed he deserved a day off of his diet
I went over my calore budget as well

Well done for coming forward and attempting to create change in your life.

You both need to see a doctor, and not just a GP. There is most definitely an eating disorder involved and you will not be able to tackle this disorder without outside help. MFP can only do so much, and this is where it reaches it's limit.

You need to stop enabling your son by feeding him whatever he wants; YOU ARE KILLING HIM!
Make a choice; either continue helping him slowly and excruciatingly kill himself, or you take control and say NO and WALK AWAY!

I would sincerely suggest you take this issue to an eating disorder clinic or at least a therapist who deals with this kind of thing. You cannot expect your son to lose 600lbs without seeing a doctor, it's just not going to happen.

Good luck working through this, it's going to be difficult, but if you stick to it you will both come out stronger people for it.

Wow, this is trolling kicked up a few notches!

You must change your way of thinking before you change your body as everything we do lies in our brain. Do not think of it as a diet, think of it as changing the foods that you eat. Start slow, it is the only way you will not want to quit. You must get your body used to moving. If you think you can, you will. If you think you can't, you won't. Effort.

in for the troll roast