Starting my Weight Loss Journey 150 lb loss

abel1337
abel1337 Posts: 2
in Success Stories
My goal is to lose 150 lbs by this time next year. I went to see my doctor last week and he said my health is in danger if I continue to live the lifestyle Ive been living for the last 45 years of my life. It is now a very real fear of mine that my life is probably going to be considerably shorter than most people. It is quite unsettling.

Coupled with my low self esteem and the fact that I am single with no kids I feel like a complete failure. I feel like I had a moment of clarity after that visit and now I am motivated to meet my goal by this time next year. I know 150 lbs is ambitious, but my doctor said it was doable when I asked him about supplements.

He didn't seem to big on supplements, but he told me if I went that route along with diet and exercise, I should go with all-natural products, and I should see the results I am looking for but I have to remain dedicated. So I found this forum and it has told me in order for me to lose 2 lbs a week I need to eat 2038 calories a day.

I am going to only eat 1500. Today I am well below that as I have not eaten breakfast and for lunch I am having a plain tuna salad sandwich without the mayonnaise. After work, I will be going cycling for one hour at my own pace. I have not been too keen on exercise my entire life so I know I am probably going to have to start out slow. I was looking on YouTube about all natural supplements for weight loss and I came across saffron extract. the video seems trustworthy and I also read somewhere else that it was seen on the doctor oz show? Has anyone heard of this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga6xfM1dpEY

I might get that next week. I will keep you all updated on my progress. Wish me luck guys!!

Replies

  • eviedear
    eviedear Posts: 1
    Lots of luck to you! Keep focused, and it should be very doable. I was never much of a exercise person myself, (mostly because I hated being forced to do it) until I started making it my own personal decision to do it and not do it. Once you get in the swing of "wanting" to do it, you start to feel amazing about yourself afterwards. I always tell myself I never ever regret working out, but I definitely regret NOT working out. :)

    Good luck hun! You'll do great.
  • iceqieen
    iceqieen Posts: 862 Member
    Stay away from "magic pills" and quick fixes
    Dont starve yourself

    Just keep your calories in < calories out. This means calculate your TDEE and eat -20% to start with, or set your goals in MFP accurately and eat a moderate amount of the exercise calories back (none or half to begin with and see how you feel)

    Doc Oz is not a very trustworthy show from what I have read and usually if something sounds too good its not really true.

    Hard work and dedication will get you those 150lbs off and will make your confidence much better, much more to gain from that than taking some supplement.

    ETA: if you really are 1337 you will probably get addicted to the numbergame (how much can you lift, how much did you eat, how fast did you run/bike) etc ;) so if you just focus on fitness goals and keep logging food accurately you will probably start to enjoy this :P check out http://www.nerdfitness.com/
  • RinnyLush
    RinnyLush Posts: 389 Member
    Best of luck! Remember not to starve yourself, eat frequently, and forgive yourself when mistakes happen. Try not to invest too much money (or hope) in any supplement or program that carries a hefty price tag. Diet culture is a multi-billion dollar industry that thrives on repeat clientele and desperation. Listen to your doctor! With a balanced diet and moving your body you can totally attain your goal. And MFP is here for you! ^_^
  • RinnyLush
    RinnyLush Posts: 389 Member
    Hard work and dedication will get you those 150lbs off and will make your confidence much better, much more to gain from that than taking some supplement.

    Totally agree! You'll see your self-esteem improve in magical ways if you apply yourself healthily to your goals, and deny the self-deprecating voices of those quick-fix monsters.
  • abel1337
    abel1337 Posts: 2
    Thank you so much for the direction. You are a very positive person I can tell :) I need to surround myself with people like you
  • DonnaJones7
    DonnaJones7 Posts: 99 Member
    I also am starting with a lot to lose. I'm not sure if I even have an end goal in sight, but also need to lose over 100 lbs and want to be healthy again.

    Please add me and we can help each other stay on track.

    Thanks,
    Donna
  • CoRyan2
    CoRyan2 Posts: 5 Member
    Breakfast is a must, it kickstarts your metabolism, all the best.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    First of all, you are not a failure.
    Try making small goals and taking it one step at a time. You will find as you succeed it can become easier to keep on going forward. I procrastinated for a lot of years and never thought I would be able to change my bad habits.
    If you stick to it and persevere, you will find yourself with a whole different perspective a few months from now!
  • 666Damian
    666Damian Posts: 1
    I will have to agree with CoRyan2 on the eating breakfast thing.

    I NEVER ate breakfast. Just had my coffee and I was good to go. Then I just started to eat some Frittatas a few hours after I woke up and it has really helped on getting the metabolism going. Whether I am hungry or not, I still eat a decent breakfast, nothing too heavy. Doing this, I have really seen some results that have surprised me. Since adding the breakfast meal to my diet, I have lost about 20 lbs. So, yes, I encourage you adding something for breakfast. It will get your metabolism going and help with the weight loss.
    But, on a side note, also allow yourself a "cheat day" as I call it. Nothing too crazy, but if you allow yourself to cheat a little on one particular day of the week it will give you something to look forward to. Like me....Saturday is my "cheat day" and will be splurging on something tasty for breakfast. Good luck with all and hope I helped you out some. ;)

    Paulie
  • GemmaRowlands
    GemmaRowlands Posts: 360 Member
    Firstly, I have always strongly believed that if I, who had been overweight literally since birth and yo-yod through my teens, can do it.. so can anyone. I never ever ever imagined that I would seriously be able to lose weight. But I did.

    Secondly, don't be too hard on yourself. 150lbs in a year would be hard going. That's almost 3lbs a week, not giving you any room for mistakes, nor accounting for the fact that it will get harder as your weight drops.

    I lost 140lbs at least (137 with MFP and whatever I lost before I dared to look at the scale, I wish I knew now..) and it took me just under two years from start to finish. I felt as though it was all hard work, so I wouldn't have wanted to try it any faster to be honest. Plus, it's easier for me to maintain because it wasn't a crash diet, and I have managed to do so for ten months now.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    First off welcome and great job on taking the first step towards getting healthy. First thing to do, is just track everything you eat and drink, be completely honest with yourself. Good bad and ugly all gets tracked, this will help see where you can make small changes that you can continue forever.

    Don't go drastic and try to change everything at once, it only makes it more difficult to continue. Set small goals for yourself, looking at the big picture sometimes gets overwhelming. Take pictures and measurements these are great tools to help track your progress.

    I will disagree with those that said you must eat breakfast, if you want to eat breakfast do that. If you don't that's fine too.

    Keep with it, you can definitely improve your health.
    Jen
  • julioclea19
    julioclea19 Posts: 2
    I read your post and It really motivated me! Can you please tell me how you lost 140 pounds?
  • FitFunTina
    FitFunTina Posts: 282 Member
    Dr. Oz is a quack, imo. He's got a talk show so he needs to have something new to talk about, so he finds stuff to turn into the latest fad.

    Calories in. Calories out. That's all you really need to focus on. Just don't waste the calories on stuff that's going to leave you hungry at the end of the day (ie sodas and junk). By counting calories, you're also teaching yourself moderation and portion controls.

    It's a marathon, not a sprint. We didn't gain our weight overnight, and it's not going to come off overnight (unfortunately lol).

    Hang in there. You can do this. Just keep challenging yourself.
  • tjsoccermom
    tjsoccermom Posts: 500 Member
    Just my 2 cents, but 1500 calories is most likely too low for you since you are a male. As a 5'5" female, I'm eating 1500-1700 calories, and work out days sometimes more. You need to look into your TDEE, just search the forums for more info and/or this website http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ . If you go too low, you'll struggle to lose weight, be lethargic and more likely to give up. This isn't a race, 150 lbs is a lot for one year. I've lost 50 in about 10 months and am very happy with that. It will probably take me another year to reach my goal and I'm fine with that. I didn't gain all this weight in a short time and it's not going to come off in a short time either. Look at this is part of a new lifestyle. You can do it!! Best of luck to you.
  • sebkiwinaspensmama
    sebkiwinaspensmama Posts: 69 Member
    If you enjoy coffee, try adding a scoop or two of some protein powder. I am NOT a morning eater, but I do get the calories needed in the morning to jump start my metabolism and the calories necessary to reach my goal. Though watch out for powders with too much sugar. Even if you don't like coffee, you can enjoy protein powder with water, or milk. I use the cheap protein powder from walmart and its good enough. Nothing too terribly expensive and no promised gimmicks. Also, instead of adjusting your diet too rapidly, try logging what you eat for a couple days and cut back on caloric intake by 500 every couple weeks. It will definitely keep you from feeling starved and you'll still lose the weight. It will NOT be a fast fix, but it will keep your metabolism from getting too erratic and putting you in a slump. Its easier to do a little at a time as opposed to adjusting your current diet overnight. Trust me, I felt starved all during the first month when I tried it. Also, make sure you don't go under 1500 calories this soon. If you set up your profile and let MFP set the goals, you'll lose weight, and when you reach a certain point, your diary will adjust for you. Don't over do it and don't rush. You'll become obsessed and this is the time to start forming good habits. I wish you luck on your journey and hope things improve for you in a way that makes you happy!
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    Breakfast is a must, it kickstarts your metabolism, all the best.

    Nope. Skipping breakfast does nothing bad to your metabolism. Your metabolism runs all day and all night without any kickstarting. Meal timing has nothing whatsoever to do with weight loss.
  • sebkiwinaspensmama
    sebkiwinaspensmama Posts: 69 Member
    Here is a post with some good advice!!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/925286-ultimate-guide-to-weight-loss-tactics
  • sebkiwinaspensmama
    sebkiwinaspensmama Posts: 69 Member
    I completely disagree. I don't know why continuing to starve your body after hours of a sleeping fast would be okay. Seems like a bad idea to me.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    My advice to the OP:

    Don't waste money on any supplements, except maybe a good multivitamin to take daily.
    Set a moderate calorie goal you can eat comfortably for the long term.
    Set your protein goal higher than MFP has it by default.
    EAT all the calories in your goal.
    Enjoy the foods you love already in moderation. Just control the amounts of those things so you get all the nutrition you need within your calorie goal.
    Use a food scale to weigh your food and control portions. <<< This is VERY important.
    Don't worry so much about an arbitrary deadline. Make your goal to stick to your plan each day for the long haul.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    I completely disagree. I don't know why continuing to starve your body after hours of a sleeping fast would be okay. Seems like a bad idea to me.

    Your body is not starving after 8 hours of not eating.

    My first meal is normally around 12 or 1 and then my 2nd meal is around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Works great for my lifestyle and my weight loss.
  • dramamama03
    dramamama03 Posts: 5
    Just wanted to wish you luck on your journey! It's totally doable but know that you are in it for the long haul. Take the ups with the downs and just know that if you stick with it it will work.

    url=http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker]3370848.png[/url]
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • Livin4me1969
    Livin4me1969 Posts: 745 Member
    I know everyone has different opinions on the way to go about it and different things work for different people but I think the most important thing is move more than you eat. A decrease in food intake and an increase in movement is all it takes. Portion control is most of my issue. I had to learn what a "normal size" portion was and a food scale definatelty helps there. Sometimes you do not realize how much to you are eating and that is where logging your food helps you make better choices. Good Luck on your journey and feel free to add me if you would like :drinker:
  • mazmataz
    mazmataz Posts: 331 Member
    The best of luck to you!

    Just remember that if this is something that you want to stick to, it needs to be sustainable. Don't leave yourself feeling deprived! Work out your TDEE-20% (read the posts below) and aim for that, even though it might seem a little higher than what you'd think you would lose at - although you'd probably be surprised at this number vs what you were eating before. Trust me, that's the biggest lesson I learned on these message boards...eat, don't make yourself miserable with bland, boring food in piddly quantities - or you'll just end up on a binge fest...or maybe that's just me! :P

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    Definitely recommend reading these ^

    Really, the best of luck to you! Stay checked in on the message boards, always amazing for support and motivation!
  • sbrownallison
    sbrownallison Posts: 314 Member
    I can only echo some of what you've heard here: (1) I don't know how Dr. Oz can live with himself, as so much of his show is just crass commercialism, i.e. don't worry about a supplement, well maybe a daily multivitamin; (2) weigh everything you eat; (3) don't skip meals, because you'll be hungry by evening and then binge (been there, done that); (4) eat whole sensible fresh foods, those that provide satiety; (5) figure out an exercise program that does not overwhelm/intimidate you at this early stage -- you want to do things that are doable and that you can feel good about. Do these things every day and every day do a minute or two more than the day before. You WILL see progress and that will be motivating to continue on and do more activities over time. (6) Be aware that most of us underestimate how much we are actually eating, and overestimate the caloric expenditure of our exercise.

    It's taken me a year and a half to lose 65 lbs, but as an older female that is to be expected. You will probably be able to do it faster, but this isn't a race. Every pound is a triumph, hell, let's face it, every 1/4 lb is welcome. Good luck to you. There is a lot of good advice from the MFP community, as well as many, let's face it, crazy views, so use your own good sense to try to figure out which is which...
  • johnkeys
    johnkeys Posts: 1
    It's tough to get back in shape after letting it go but it can be done. You seem to be on the right track nutrition wise but since exercise to tough because of your weight, try swimming as it gives you an aerobic without to hazards of putting weight on your joints, tendons etc.
    After you've done that for a little while check out a mild yoga program.....you'd be surprised at just how much that can help with your weight loss efforts in a healthy way

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