164lbs to lose

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staceysforster
staceysforster Posts: 20 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Hey!

I have worked It out in total I have 164lbs to lose, my target is Christmas next year, I would love to fit into a size 14 (UK) dress. Problem is though although I have my target etc I need inspiration and motivation? I tend to give up so easily and although I know I want to be thin, I just cannot bring myself to exercise and am on a VERY limited budget for food too so just tend to give up!

HELP!
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Replies

  • johnnylufc
    johnnylufc Posts: 39 Member
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    hi welcome to mfp . take it slowly and do small targets at a time
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
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    In all honesty, healthy eating is much cheaper than you think. The key is making your own food. You can pay $6 (3.84 British Pounds) for a loaf of organic bread, or you can make your own organic bread for less than $1. If you have a hard time committing with everything start with one thing at a time. Instead of walking 2.5 kilometers everyday and eating 1500 calories just focus on eating. Today, stay within your calorie limit. Next week incorporate more vegetables into your diet while staying within your calorie limit. Maybe two months down the road once you are successful and confident in your diet start exercising. You can exercise all you want to but if you're eating too much you won't lose weight so I'd suggest get your diet under control and you can incorporate exercise later.

    I would suggest breaking your large 164 lb goal down into small obtainable goals. Use a jar with marbles. Make one jar weight lost and the other weight to lose. Put your short term goal into your weight to lose and as you do your weekly weigh-ins move the marbles. Once you've obtained that goal leave those marbles in the weight lost jar and put your next goal in your weight to lose. It makes your ultimate goal seem more visually obtainable and also makes you remember your progress.

    Keep in mind the weight won't come off as quickly with dieting alone so eventually you will want to incorporate exercise.
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
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    What has worked best for me has been not even having a goal in mind. I knew I wanted to lose weight, so I just changed my lifestyle to one conducive to weight loss, and I lost weight. By not doing this to reach a specific goal, it's felt more like a lifestyle - part of my daily routine - rather than slogging through a diet. Now that I'm feeling like I'd be happy switching to maintenance, I've picked a goal so I can prepare and figure out how much I should be eating at that point. Good luck! :)
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
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    This is must my view but it seems to work for me :-)

    For most of my life I thought I needed to change my body weight - whatever I did didn't work and I just gained. I needed to drop 70lb when i started this time. I've had a revelation though in that I needed to change the way I do this (what I did before didn't work). I have now decided I need to change myself and view success or setback as how well to the new me I am. This means that if I exercise and get somewhere near my target - and drop messages onto MFP, I am the new me I want to be and I have succeeded - the number of the scales is not significant at all - its the number in MFP and having physical exercise that determines my success. . For me this has two benifits, firstly it is more real for me. I am judging myself for stuff that is totally in my control - if my body decides to pick up 4lb of water over night that is nothing to do we me and therefore irreverent to my judgement of success or failure. Secondly it takes me away from saying I am in a failure state and success is a year away - and then what happens when I get there - I no longer need to do anything ??? No, I would hope i behave just like I am doing today :-) I look at myself as a winner everyday instead of a loser who needs to work for a year to be a winner
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
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    also keep completely away from sugar and simple carbs.. try it :-)
  • slbell
    slbell Posts: 2 Member
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    Aw, you can do it ! We are in the same boat, I have a limited budget as well and I need to lose about 200lbs. So maybe we can encourage and inspire each other. "BABY WE GOT THIS" ;-)
  • prosperkat
    prosperkat Posts: 59 Member
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    I am also fighting obesity and I have found MFP to be the right tool to motivate me. The one and only thing that I require myself to do every single day is to log my diet and exercise. That's it. I have done so consistently for 41 days and I have lost 22 pounds. If I go over my calorie targets on a particular day, I do not beat myself up instead I learn from it. Why does MFP work for me?

    1.) Careful logging helps me understand what a real portion looks like and where calories add up. I am not as obsessive as some, but I weigh and measure most things now. And it's easy to log - if you have the app on your phone then you can just scan the barcode on many food items. Understanding portion sizes and calorie values has made me feel satisfied with a whole lot less of high calorie items while I munch relatively large quantities of low calorie items - it works.

    2.) MFP encourages me to exercise with the "eat back your exercise calories" philosophy. My target is about 1500 calories, but I really struggle with keeping my calories under 1800. However, if I go for a 30 minute walk, then I can have those extra 300 calories. Wait - I am too tired to walk today??? Well then, I just have to keep my calories under 1500. It's all my choice as to what I want more - to be lazy or to eat. I exercise most days now...

    3.) Friends - there are a lot of great people here who have lost a lot of weight. By adding a few of these people as friends, I have been able to see what they eat, see what kind of exercise they do, see their successes and failures, get their encouragement and know I am not alone in this journey. They inspire me every day and it has made all the difference. You do not need to know the person you request to "friend" with you - but I do suggest that when you make the request you read their profile and goals and pick them for a reason - a common interest, a shared philosophy, something they said on a forum...

    I hope MFP works well for you, too. Good luck on your journey!
  • kem05
    kem05 Posts: 97
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    It's definitely doable! Eating well isn't expensive if you do your research. There are plenty of recipes that are both budget and calorie friendly. Once you're in a routine, add in some exercise - just walk to start.... The pounds will start coming off and that will be yur motivation. MFP is a wonderful resource! Feel free to add me as a friend :flowerforyou:
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
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    44 healthy foods under $1!

    http://greatist.com/health/44-healthy-foods-under-1
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Walking start walking that's all I did for the first 3 months just build up the amount of time you do weekly and you'll be amazed at how quickly you get there. Good luck
  • angiewf
    angiewf Posts: 175 Member
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    Set small goals and give yourself a non-food reward eg a favourite magazine or new nail varnish/lipstick when you reach one. DON'T look at the overall amount. Remember the saying 'How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!'
    If food costs are a problem, try visiting budget supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi, their quality is good and prices low.Or you could go to other supermarkets late at night when they reduce stuff, which will be fine if frozen. If you have a street market near you, they are much cheaper for fruit and veg.They won't be the perfect size and shape demanded by supermarkets, but perfectly edible.Good luck with your weight loss journey.
  • Dottyb1940
    Dottyb1940 Posts: 188 Member
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    What as worked for me is a step at a time, small goals and not to be in a hurry, enjoy your life still go out with friends but limit what you eat and drink, you will do itI am sure you have tone in the right frame of mind good luck on your journey and most of all enjoy
  • VeganLexi
    VeganLexi Posts: 960 Member
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    I'm around your age, add me if you like :smile:
  • CantonMan1234
    CantonMan1234 Posts: 142 Member
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    This

    And remember, don't give up.
    I am also fighting obesity and I have found MFP to be the right tool to motivate me. The one and only thing that I require myself to do every single day is to log my diet and exercise. That's it. I have done so consistently for 41 days and I have lost 22 pounds. If I go over my calorie targets on a particular day, I do not beat myself up instead I learn from it. Why does MFP work for me?

    1.) Careful logging helps me understand what a real portion looks like and where calories add up. I am not as obsessive as some, but I weigh and measure most things now. And it's easy to log - if you have the app on your phone then you can just scan the barcode on many food items. Understanding portion sizes and calorie values has made me feel satisfied with a whole lot less of high calorie items while I munch relatively large quantities of low calorie items - it works.

    2.) MFP encourages me to exercise with the "eat back your exercise calories" philosophy. My target is about 1500 calories, but I really struggle with keeping my calories under 1800. However, if I go for a 30 minute walk, then I can have those extra 300 calories. Wait - I am too tired to walk today??? Well then, I just have to keep my calories under 1500. It's all my choice as to what I want more - to be lazy or to eat. I exercise most days now...

    3.) Friends - there are a lot of great people here who have lost a lot of weight. By adding a few of these people as friends, I have been able to see what they eat, see what kind of exercise they do, see their successes and failures, get their encouragement and know I am not alone in this journey. They inspire me every day and it has made all the difference. You do not need to know the person you request to "friend" with you - but I do suggest that when you make the request you read their profile and goals and pick them for a reason - a common interest, a shared philosophy, something they said on a forum...

    I hope MFP works well for you, too. Good luck on your journey!
  • Miffylou
    Miffylou Posts: 307 Member
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    When I first started changing my lifestyle I changed one small thing at a time.
    Each couple of weeks it was something different. Something's were as simple as parking further away from work and only having one cappuccino instead of 3 or 4 a day.

    Being healthy doesn't have to be expensive and I now would only spend half on my shopping compared to what I used to spend. I buy very limited packaged food, no longer buy soft drink and do most of my fruit and veg shopping at the local market.

    Exercise doesn't have to be about sweating it out at the gym (even though now going to the gym is one of my favourite things to do, and I never thought this would be possible) it can be simply being a little bit more active everyday.

    Life is here to be enjoyed. I'm so called I made the decision to change mine because now am actually living it and having a great time in the process.

    You can achieve anything, you just have to give it a go.
  • Donald_Dozier_50
    Donald_Dozier_50 Posts: 395 Member
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    As far as the limited budget, most of us can relate. My wife and I, both here on MFP and both successfully losing weight (a total of about 120 lbs.), We have changed very little in what we have always eaten, just the serving sizes which actually means it is, for us, less expensive. The only thing added for us is more fruits than we used to eat but everything else is pretty much the same. Almost all of our meals are eaten at home and I do the cooking so I have slightly altered some recipes to lower calories but that has not changed the taste.

    As far as a goal weight, many people set small short term goals and it works for them, I have but one goal in mind and that is to reach my target weight with no ending date in mind. No ending date for two reasons, #1 to avoid being let down by some unrealistic goal and #2 this is a never ending thing really, it is a complete lifestyle change. Anything else would just lead to regaining the weight
  • cpego1
    cpego1 Posts: 39 Member
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    hello! Welcome!!! I have 100lbs to lose and I can use a motivational partner! We CAN do this!!!!!! add me as a friend!
    :happy:
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Eating less is key, and that will save you money. You don't have to buy what you aren't going to eat or drink. Exercise helps a bit, but 80% is in the eating.
  • jaxsue
    jaxsue Posts: 2
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    I am in the process of losing 120 pounds. MFP is the best part of this whole process. Entering my exercise and eating everyday lets me see the progress I'm making. I can tweak my food plan and make sure that I'm eating healthy. I am also on a very limited budget. Lots of salad and protein like beans are helping a lot. I am lucky enough to be living in a condo complex that has a workout room and pool. I walk every day and swim laps in the pool. I get exercise DVD's at the library for free and get lots of great exercises off the computer. Don't look at the total weight you have to lose. Make small goals. I'm doing this in 10 pound increments. Good luck!
  • changingmylife85
    changingmylife85 Posts: 38
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    Hello!

    Just want you to know that you can do this. We ALL can do this. NO one of us can do it alone. I'm here for ya and so are the most amazing people on MFP.. 164 lbs to lose? set small goals. I have 100 to lose. I started off with changing my eating habits. MFP has really helped me really see what I put into my mouth. And make me think..."Did I really NEED that?" Or "what could I have done better?", "How much harder could I have pushed myself to burn off that extra 100 cals?" My main key is not to stress over it!! You will do great! You're here, right?
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