HELP... from Fat to Healthy ... HOW????

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I am asking for help because I know I am fat and I want to be healthy… I eat way too much and then sometimes more. The amount of food I can eat in one day is scary. I have tried to go to a dietitian but I feel they don't understand over eaters. I am not an over eater that has one extra slice of pizza to make 3 slices, I can eat the whole pizza. My mom said to me one day, "You are the only person I know that can read a fitness magazine while eating a Big Mac". Yep, this is more I love fitness and I love to eat.

I don't know how to stop myself from eating. I can say no to people offering me food, but I can't say no to myself. I have good days and then I have days like yesterday that blow the good days out of the water.

I would love to hear from the former fat people who have found their way to a healthy lifestyle. Any tips and suggests that will help me get this weight off I will try my best to follow.

Thanks

Replies

  • nobbit1983
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    Hi there,

    I'm very much the same... as a powerlifter and someone who has lost 80lbs of fat and kept it off.

    You're already doing the first big thing - logging your food. Knowing how many calories you're eating is super important.

    Then the next thing is shifting from calorie dense foods (like the pizza you mentioned) to more calorie-sparse foods that have a lot more volume.

    I recommend something called the default meal template (meat, leaves & fat is optional). Notice how fast carbs are not a part of it. When you want to have carbs, you've gotta earn them.

    When I have a little bit of sugar, my appetite is ravenous for the day - and one of my friends has the same problem. She lost over 100lbs and has the same problem with sugar - so limit it to evenings and only when you've earned it to minimize the damage.

    I still gain 10-15lbs of fat when I go on vacation... mostly because of carbs early on in the day. When vacation's over, I limit the carbs again, and go back to my maintenance weight.

    Any other questions, feel free to message me.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    As a former whole pizza eater (and on good days probably could still down a full pizza in 1 sitting) the change comes from when you decide it does.. Willpower is everything and the day you tell yourself your sick of living like you are, and that eating as much as you do just isn't worth perhaps not being happy.. then you change.
    Also not buying the food (sounds like its out of your hands) and having the temptation around helps a lot.. It all depends how much you want to change.
  • nobbit1983
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    Willpower's a good temp fix, but not one to rely-on for the long haul.

    Hunger ALWAYS wins - so just make sure you're eating plenty of meat and leaves for volume and satiety, and the hunger problem takes care of itself.
  • TinStarBGrade
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    OK, firstly, because you love to eat, you need a solution that allows you to do just that. I love to eat too! And I'm (was? will be again?) a two pizza guy. But what I've found works for me is to find ways to make a lower calorie meal both really filling and really tasty, so that I look forward to it and enjoy even though it ends up giving me less calories than whatever I might otherwise choose.

    An example of this is two marinated chicken thigh fillets (skin off), grilled in the oven, and a huge pile of steamed vegetables that I then dump the chicke on top of. All the chicken juices and marinadey goodness end up flavouring the vegetables, so they taste great, and there's a lot of them, and they're not very high in calories (and ARE high in nutrients). And then the chicken is like the icing on the cake - nice lean protein, and tasty.

    At no point in that meal do I feel like i'm missing out because I'm not getting a whole pizza in me. 350g of Brussels sprouts with a hint of chicken marinade on them is pretty damn filling, too, so it's not like I'm ever empty.

    The second thing is to abandon hope of a quick fix. Slow is best. You've got to sign up for a solution that doesn't have you expecting to see yourself reach your goal for months (or years). Daily fluctuations won't help you psychologically, so maybe even ditch the scales for a month at a time. If you work out your current weight and height and activity level, and aim to lose half a kg a week, MFP will tell you how many calories to aim for each day. Then it's up to you to put together a solution that hits that goal.

    Nothing succeeds like success. But don't look for success right away. Just stick to the plan, believing in the fact that a slight caloric deficit will result in slow but sure fat loss. And when you do weigh or measure and you're closer to your goal, that's a big incentive to keep on keeping on. If you get disheartened because you're still not Elle McPherson (or whoever the current hot body is), you've lost sight of the fact that you're headed in the right direction, which is what counts, and that keeping going is what will get you to the best shape you can be.

    I use a picture of a fitness model as my avatar, which means every time I log into MFP, I see my goal physique. My goal isn't to be like that guy; my goal is to keep movign towards being like that guy until I get to where I'm satisfied. See the subtle difference. The goal pic is just a direction to aim in, not a place to get to. While I'm headed in that direction, I'm experiencing success all along the way, not just when I "get there".

    Also, forget about crazy exercise regimes with videos and a lot of moving your body. They're great, but if you're fat, just brisk walking for half an hour three times a week is a good way to start. You want to put in place something you can do, not something that you'll avoid. You said you were pretty active, so just keep doing that. Because it's disappointing how little quantity of food you actually "earn back" by doing strenuous exercise. An hour of running? ~900kcal for me. That's not even dinner. So don't try to exercise yourself thinner. Eating at a caloric deficit is where it's at, and use exercise to augment that.

    When you've dropped some weight, then you can work in more fancy fitness stuff if that floats your boat. Or if lifting weights appeals to you, some people swear by that as a fat loss assistant. You won't get majorly swole by accident, so no fear there. But the basics are: eat less calories (not necessarily less food - yay!), keep track of it so you can make sure you're at a deficit, and be prepared to wait. It will happen.
  • TheBitSlinger
    TheBitSlinger Posts: 621 Member
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    Tips, if you want them...

    1. I faced up to the fact that I am addicted to overeating and started taking responsibility for my actions, regardless of who did or did not understand me,

    2. I eat less, move more, then repeat.

    Seriously, that's all I've done.

    ETA:

    You will be hungry, especially as meal-time nears. If you are never hungry, you're overeating.

    Motivations flag and fade, and failure is nothing. Will is everything. The will to act is supreme and perseverance overcomes all.
  • TheBitSlinger
    TheBitSlinger Posts: 621 Member
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    ^This plus when i overate i made sure i would know that i was going to have to burn it. No excuses. When you get use to realizing you need to burn off what you ate you start to eat less and eat more correctly. It's all about training you mind to realize that you should eat this much per day. If you're going to eat a whole lot more you have to work that off. It's kinda fun when you have a really awesome fitness full day and get to decide how youre going to use those calories omnomom.

    Also i have about 55lbs to go so if you want a buddy in the same place as you i'd love another pal with a similar goal and issue as me =) So feel free to add me =D

    :happy:

    I love that... it's like relating spending money to hours worked to earn that money. In my case, I'd have to run up Mt. Everest everyday to keep up with my junkie food habit. :laugh:

    I'm now fully addicted to fitness highs and dizziness from low blood pressure.... still a junkie, just different habits now.
  • aldale
    aldale Posts: 118 Member
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    Only you can change your eating habits. If you want to be fit and healthy, you have to exercise and eat healthy. It is up to you! MFP is a great tool, but you have to do the work.
  • salsera_barbie
    salsera_barbie Posts: 270 Member
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    As a former whole pizza eater (and on good days probably could still down a full pizza in 1 sitting) the change comes from when you decide it does.. Willpower is everything and the day you tell yourself your sick of living like you are, and that eating as much as you do just isn't worth perhaps not being happy.. then you change.
    Also not buying the food (sounds like its out of your hands) and having the temptation around helps a lot.. It all depends how much you want to change.

    I think this is key, willpower. Anytime I've done something it's because I'm mentally ready to do it and because I've reached that point of being sick and tired of "whatever" it is.
  • JamesDanek
    JamesDanek Posts: 95 Member
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    The big thing, thing that got me through it (70lb down), was finding something more important.

    For me it was a red head.:wink:

    I started heavy then gained more weight giving up smoking because i was going to become a parent.

    When i realized I was practically just as unhealthy as I was when i was still smoking I dropped the weight and then another 3 and a half stone on top.

    I did it all for my little girl. She is nearly 3 with gorgeous ginger hair and i am in the best shape of my life because she means more to me than my gluttonous slovenly habits.