Advice from Successful People, please?

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  • sambaggatta
    sambaggatta Posts: 2
    hey girl! im in the same exact boat as you! im 18 and ive been overweight my whole entire life and i dont just mean overweight, i mean obese. Sometimes its hard for people to understand certain situations but im totally there with you! My mom is a health freak who thinks her way is the right way and she's tried to force me to loose weight for years and ive always wanted to but nothing ever worked for me and i think now im realizing that it was my mind set at the time. I was just so depressed about how my mom and sister are sticks and im the fat one. But then things started to change. I changed. And thats what you have to do also. You have to change your mind and i no thats cliche but it works i swear. Instead of saying "ughhh how come i dont have that girls body" say "Thats gonna be me in a few months" cause it will be true. Now im 5'1 and i was 240 pounds at my highest which was in december of last year. Im now 210 pounds and i can honestly tell you ive never felt better. ofcourse i still have some ways to go (my goal is 160) but im getting there and you will too!

    I wont give you any advice on healthy food because theres a million different definitions to healthy out there, but i will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Id be a liar if i said that i ate breakfast everyday cause sometimes i just dont have time and since im at college the food here is limited but i do know that this will help you immensely.

    Mainly what ill give you tips on is exercising. Okay so at first i hated it with every single passion in the world. It hurt, I hated being seen at the gym, i thought people were looking at me and i couldn't stand seeing the skinny gorgeous girls with full faces of makeup and there hair done to look like they were going out! it still bothers me to this day BUT, i soon learned that i had to get over it. If someone looked at me wrong id give them a **** off look. because i was at the gym to WORKOUT not find a boyfriend. SOOOOO anyway, if you don't want to go to the gym because you feel embarrassed, just please remember that your there to better yourself and anyone who you think is looking at you weird is most likely thinking "You go girl!"

    okay so
    the first week:
    Elipitical: 25 minutes with the 5 minute cool down
    - at first i was like holy **** i hate life this hurts but after the first couple days i swear it gets better
    Treadmill: 15 minutes (walking at 3.1mph)
    Bicycle: 15 minutes

    i did this for a good month actually untill i started to up the pace
    (please of you feel i was too slow or too fast, go at your own pace)

    then i started advancing to 30 mins , 35, 40, now 45 on the elliptical
    treadmill i keep the same cause i think of it as a cool down
    and then i think of the cardio workout as my warm up
    after the cardio (and this is me talking now but you are soooooo welcome to do this)
    i do some weights and the machines, its very important to put resistance training in your workouts to make you stronger and shrink the fat!

    in july i stopped working out and eating right and i just felt disgusting. i gained like 15 pounds back and so a couple weeks ago i got back into the swing of things so im seriously right there with you trying to be the best i cant be. We are a work in progress but i know we will definitely make it!

    please please please message me with any questions anddd tell me how your doing and ill do the same!!! everyone needs a workout pal (even if its over the internet haha)

    goodluck and i hope i helped a little <3
  • foolsforsarah
    foolsforsarah Posts: 34
    What kind of foods are you eating now? Its okay that you aren't good at writing every thing down, but if you could, try and let me know what it is you ate, say yesterday, or simply how your average day may go.

    I'm not a huge fan of counting calories and documenting, I've lost a ton of weight by slowly making changes, and if you are willing I think I could help.

    Ya see there is a time we are ready for huge changes and times we are only capable of making small changes due to whatever our circumstance may be, but any change is good and will have a dramatic impact on our future.

    So go ahead and try and let me know, and I could help you make changes.
  • abickford82
    abickford82 Posts: 207
    Like the first person said, log your foods, figure out your BMR and go from there. I used to do the super low calorie diet, and drink 5 hour energies to workout, but I won't do that anymore. I eat over 2000 calories a day, and live a VERY active lifestyle. However, over the years I learned to focus on macros vs calories. I'm more concerned about the quality of my food vs quantity. Over time, it'll be easier for you.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Welcome! Your first step is coming to a place of support. :smile:

    I know where you are coming from.

    I grew up a fat kid as well with parents who tried everything under the sun to get me to lose weight. They told me what I should and should not eat (i.e. if it was terms "fattening" I was not to have it), but they would eat all these foods in front of me. They were all thin too. I was told to exercise but they never wanted to exercise with me. I'm sure they meant well, but I turned out to be a kid with some low self esteem and severe body image issues.

    School was horrible. The kids made fun of me because I was fat. So, whether I was home or at school, I felt horrible because of my size.

    As an adult, food was comfort, until I decided to do something about it. I joined a gym, hired a trainer, and lost about 70 pounds. I did it from running and lifting weights three times a week and eating between 1360 and 1460 calories a day. I wrote down everything I ate. My trainer told me to get used to what I was doing because it was a lifestyle change, not temporary, and by no means a diet.

    I listened and kept the weight off for a long time, until about five years ago when I forgot the wonderful tools I'd learned. I gained almost 30 lbs back over five years.

    I searched my iphone for an app to log my food and calories and found MFP. I started logging to see what I was consuming. It was an awful lot. I was still running three times a week but it was getting more difficult because I'd put on the weight. I set my profile up in MFP, started logging everything, exercising every day (walking some days, running and weight lifting on other days), eating at a calorie deficit, and started noticing result. In about four months I lost 21 pounds. I have about ten more to go.

    For me, what works is logging my food and calories and being conscious of what I am putting into my body. I have made a lifestyle change. I will log food and exercise for the rest of my life if that's what it takes to stay healthy.

    I just wanted to share my experience, strength, and hope with you, and to say you are so brave for reaching out for help at such a young age. I'm really proud of you.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
    Great advice on here. I just want to second (or third) the idea of logging food BEFORE you eat it. You probably will make different choices based on this. And it certainly beats eating something, then logging it and regretting it/beating yourself up over it. Logging first keeps the knowledge and control in your hands, and you'll feel so good about making good choices.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    First, the sexypants thread is awesome.
    Also, there's http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    Read those 2 threads.

    1. Just start with consistently logging everything. Even if it's a bad day. Be 100% honest with yourself, because you're doing this for you.
    2. Get a food scale. They're about $20-25, but soooooo worth the investment. I was so surprised, after getting mine, that my chicken breast I was cooking wasn't a single serving, but more like 3.
    3. Don't give up. Even if you go over your calorie goal, it's not the end of the world. You're not going to undue all of your hard work. Just log it and move on.
    4. The first couple weeks are the hardest, but once you get past that, you're in a good place.
    5. If you want to exercise, find something you'll love. Let's face it, exercise is hard work, and it kind of sucks. So find something that will hold your interest, that you find fun, and doesn't seem so much of a chore.
  • RonW956
    RonW956 Posts: 105 Member
    You've come to the right place for help. I would suggest first to set your goals and then use the food diary & log everything you eat & your exercise for the day and stick with it. The first couple weeks may be hard as you fight the old habits & urges to snack but I warn you when you start to eat healthy & see results on the scale it will become addictive!
    But I promise you, you will lose it, maybe more than you think...
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    1. Get rid of your excuses. All of them. Excuses are a rationalization of future failure. Let them go. We all become overweight for a variety of reasons. They don't matter anymore, because you are going to change and transform yourself. Excuses tie you to the overweight child you've always been. In order to become a healthy, vibrant, confident person, you need to move on.

    2. Create new habits. The things you've done in the past didn't work. It's not enough to stop doing them. You need to find new ways of being and doing in order to become the person you want to be. There is no quick fix. There is no magic diet. You need to find new ways of living your life that support healthy weight loss. Start with logging your food every single day with no excuses. It will eventually become a way of life for you. Next, start working out. Start where you are and do what you can. Increase it every week. Don't make excuses. Just do it.

    3. Work towards being the person you want to be every day. Do you see all the amazing profile pics on this site? Those people WORK HARD. They don't "eat whatever they want." They weren't "born that way." They're not "lucky." They put in the work at the gym, on the road and in their home weight rooms. They do it every day whether they feel like it or not. If you don't like where you are in life, work to change it. Go back to school. Engage in the hobby you've always wanted to try. Meet new people. Changing your life requires effort. In order to lose weight, you need to change your life.

    4. Honor and respect who you are. Your body deserves healthy fuel. Eat food that makes you feel good and gives you energy. When you have a treat, enjoy and savor it. Get rid of the guilt and shame and embrace pleasure and pride. Stop trying to numb yourself with food, hide in food, and console yourself with food. Make healthy choices in all aspects of life. Be balanced and choose moderation instead of extremes.

    5. Know that change will need to be forever. You can't "diet" until you reach your "goal weight" and go back to what you've always done. You'll never be finished. You have to make permanent, sustainable changes in order to maintain your weight, health and self esteem in the long term.
  • pansyviolet
    pansyviolet Posts: 34
    I have been on this program for two months and have lost 15 pounds. The big think for me is to be hones with myself and record everything I eat. Also excerise is so important. You can do it.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Let me add that a big step, and one that is often not easy to make, is to stop blaming your parents for where you are. I'm not saying that they're not somewhat, or even largely, at fault, but if you focus your attention on how others have caused your problems, rather than what you can do about fixing them, then you are putting obstacles in the way of your success. Getting to your goals involves changing those things that you can control (and, honestly, there is plenty that you cannot control) and that is where your energy and efforts should be focused.

    To avoid any confusion, let me also say that the Serenity Prayer, whether you are religious or not, or a former addict or not, contains more wisdom than I think many understand:

    "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
    The courage to change the things I can,
    And wisdom to know the difference."

    Put your efforts and energy on those things identified in the second line up there.

    Good luck, OP.

    I could not have said this any better and it is exactly what I was thinking... I sat in this chair and let the walls close in around me blaming everybody else for my problems and eating myself to the point I was trapped in my own home and unable to walk.. Family members would try to intervene or give me the tough love and I would always turn it against them because I didn't have the F'n problem!! They did!!! in my mind I was doing nothing wrong... and this went on until such I time that I started taking responsibility for my own live and took control of what I could control..... I am sure even though your mother comes across harsh in your mind, she wants nothing but the best for you but just isn't good in your eye of how to do or show it.... Own up to your life and take charge of it and do the hard work it will take to change your path... In the end you are the only one that can do it, no one else can..... Best of Luck
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