150 pounds to lose......HELP!!!!!!

I think the heading says it all. I'm trying again.
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Replies

  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
    Measure everything, weigh everything and get your Kryptonite foods out of your house. Your calories per day will go farther the less processed food you eat. Good luck.
  • great tips! I am writing them down
  • I would also recommend eating higher protein, lower carbs (breads, pastas, grains). Track everything religiously, and eat something every 3-4 hours to keep your hunger at bay and your metabolism up.

    Drink LOTS of water. If you hate water, Crystal Light is pretty awesome & fairly inexpensive. You are going to get a TON of suggestions. Find the right combination that works for you, and even if you started off with one or two rules and built on that, it would improve your diet. You don't have to drop everything all at once. This is a journey, not a race. :)

    Best of luck!
  • roblow65
    roblow65 Posts: 156 Member
    I have 130 to lose, I started this a couple of years ago and now I'm back. Good luck to you, if you'd like we can be "pals" and motivate each other. :happy:
  • emmasage2u
    emmasage2u Posts: 19 Member
    I have 150 lbs to lose as well. I've been back to MFP since Oct. 26.. I find tracking food as the day progresses helps me so I can plan how much to "spend" for the next snack or meal. I find apples for an afternoon snack to be filling. I add nuts or peanut butter for protein. I started out with a goal of 1 pound per week; lost 10 lbs in 10 weeks and then put 5 lbs while family was here for four days over the Christmas holiday and I was cooking "normal" for them or eating out. I have moved my goal to 2 lbs a week today and that cut my calories. We'll see how this goes. Today was okay so we'll just take it one day at a time. Remember this isn't a diet but a healthy way of moving and eating. And you deserve to treat yourself well! Good luck and welcome.:bigsmile:
  • Ben_Avery
    Ben_Avery Posts: 22 Member
    Set your major goal ( to lose 150 Pounds ) and a HEAP of mini goals.

    Clothes sizes top and bottom
    exercise goals. Finish a quarter/half/mile walk then beat the time.
    bmi goals
    weight loss in 5/10/20/50/100 pound chunks
    weight loss in 5/10/20/50 kilogram chunks ( The more goals the merrier )
    take every measurement and track them. Set goals around these.

    Remove negative people from your life.

    Learn to love vegetables if you don't already.

    Find and exercise you love. With 150 pounds to lose I would suggest you don't race into exercise. Your body tells you once it needs to get moving. You will have so much energy as the weight drops it needs to go somewhere.

    Drink a heap of water, you can't hear this one to much.

    If you have a partner, get them onboard you either do part or all of it with your or become your fan club :)

    Keep a look out for smells/situations that trigger overeating or poor eating decisions . I found I had a few of these I was never away of.

    Good luck. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want some moral support.
  • V0lver
    V0lver Posts: 915 Member
    As a first step, my advice would be just to start logging in regularly. Once you make it a point to spend atleast 5 mins daily looking at the forums - adsorbing all the information, making friends, reading success stories etc., gradually you will find your groove. Good luck!
  • Neddie33
    Neddie33 Posts: 3 Member
    I have a hundred pounds to loose. and like you I am starting over. The main thing for me is trying this, this time after a emergency C-sections. I had tried to work out too early and hurt myself more and pushed back my trying to get back to exercising and now I have a fear of hurting myself (been 8.5 months now) and I have grown accustomed of being lazy after work. I'll help you stay on board if you help me.
  • AtLeastOnceMore
    AtLeastOnceMore Posts: 304 Member
    I'm with you, hon. I have 63kg (139lb) to go - I've got coeliac disease and IBS, so my diet is largely dictated by my dietary requirements, but I'm starting on a high-protein, low starch and green vegetable heavy diet (which doesn't make me sick, but sucks to plan for at work). Also, I second the 'drink water!' thing - I don't like the taste, so I add a squeeze of lime juice or lemon juice to mine, which has the added bonus of breaking down fats in your stomach. I'm also using a stationary bike and making sure to take the dogs for a walk every day - simple exercises. We can do this, I promise!

    4974346.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I second the mini goals thing. Break it down, make it manageable and achievable so you can feel proud, rather than thinking about what you still have to lose. For me, it was to get into pre pregnancy dresses, then jeans, then jeans from years ago. If I'd aimed for the size 8s immediately I'd have found it harder.

    I don't know if you exercise, but if you do, find something you enjoy. Maybe see if one of your friends will go to the gym/classes with you. If you're meeting someone there, you're less likely to make an excuse not to go.

    Stock up on healthy snacks and don't keep junk in the house.

    Good luck :smile:
  • rmashman
    rmashman Posts: 6 Member
    Remember this... How do you eat an elephant.... One bite at a time. As Ben stated set small goals and be patient with yourself! I personally exercise EVERY day. I have lost over 40 pounds since Mid-August and have been very serious about logging my food. I log everything down to little snacks and I ensure I'm drinking the water as well. I would attempt to get your metabolism check, so you know what your body is doing to burn off calories. I read a lot about what works for everyone else and try to adapt to my situation. Again be patient for with yourself and make it a lifestyle change. You have to have some type of snack that tastes good to you or your diet will not survive. I also weigh myself every day (Which most people say is not a good idea), but my reason is that I have a better idea of what works and what doesn't work. My suggestion would be to weigh yourself first thing in the morning and try to get your exercise in right away (No excuses for not completing it after a long day of work).

    I looked at this as a way to get to know what my body can handle. I have joined groups and completed walking events as well. The more people that you have in your efforts to get healthy the easier it will be when you get frustrated.

    Remember.... BE PATIENT... You didn't get out of shape over night and you surely won't get skinny over night. I have added Meta-Mucil to my diet as well to help you clear your system. Plus it helps you get more water into your body! Please let me know what I can do to help!
  • littlelexical
    littlelexical Posts: 146 Member
    Hi there,
    I had lots to lose & still do - I have PCOS & Thyroid issues - so may be a little different me for you, however i find, the more we have to lose, the more we get that consistent hungry feeling alllllllllllllllll day.
    My current solution?
    I plan the whole day on MFP (under all the correct categories) and then let myself eat when i feel hungry - or graze all day - but only on what I have already plugged in. I find you are grazing on healthier more filling foods then - rather than getting the munchies - eating a handful of chips - putting it into MFP & going "oh no! I cant eat anything else for the rest of the day!!!"
    Its also much easier to have a bite of a pre-made sandwich at the door to the fridge and put it back - than to stop at one handful of chips (No idea why - just seems to be the way :P)

    Over-all - try not to make it a weightloss experience - try to make it a Health gaining experience. Learn about your foods - what they contain, why they are good for you & what they do to your insides - Its far easier to fill up on more sensible chioces when you know whats going on in your insides. Make this something for the rest of your life - Or you will always be waiting for the day you hit goal weight, so you can have a whole cake and eat it too... You will also be less discouraged (hopefully) if there is no scale shift, but you feel healthier :)
  • Vex3521
    Vex3521 Posts: 385 Member
    Lots of great info here. Please feel free to add me too for support if you like! I can't recommend weighing food enough. I have to do it again and document with pictures since I Just did this to a family member that says the measuring cup vs the scale is the exact same, and it just isn't. I used rice and it was pretty staggering how off 1 cup vs 1 weighted serving was. Same deal with cereal.

    Also I do log everything. snack size candy bar, yep, cookie... yep... pepsi I'm drinking for a migraine right now... yep (and let me tell ya it's syrupy!) but I've got to ditch this thing and since I'm at work well, I can't go to sleep so hopefully this works.

    If you can cook ahead and pre-portion I know that helps but I have an insane schedule. This way it's a pre-measured "whatever" in the tupperware type of meal or snack instead of guessing and being over (or under) on calories. I binge if I'm under so keeping that trigger in check is a big one for me!

    Outside of food stuff.... I also recommend taking measurements. Got frustrated thinking that where I am in loss I'd be seeing more but when I Look at my measurements it's there. And pictures do show it. And the blog here helps too! Just to get stuff out! It's a great community so I know everyone here has your back like me =)

    You CAN do this!
  • I need help, too!! I have 150 pounds to lose as well! I'm scared, excited, and hopeful!! :smile:
  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
    I'm in the same boat, although I'm afraid of setting a goal that "seems" undoable to me. So, I'm focused on 10 lb increments with the goal of seeing a number under 200 for the first time in many years.

    I have PCOS and newly diagnosed diabetes, so my plan is lower carb, higher protein with lots of fruits and veggies. A helpful rule of thumb for me is to visually divide my plate in half, then divide one side into 2 equal parts. The half side is fruits and veggies, then 1/4 protein and 1/4 carbs.

    One thing I've learned, if I skip the protein at lunch and just have a salad, I am ravenously hungry before dinner. Snacking is my number one problem, so I must have healthy snacks available.

    Feel free to add me to your friends list. I can always use the support myself.
  • HealthWoke0ish
    HealthWoke0ish Posts: 2,078 Member
    MFP has worked for me.

    My Tools:

    1.Digital scale
    2. digital food scale
    3. Heart Rate Monitor.

    My Rules: (Copied and Pasted from SideSteel's post...he said it succinctly and I thought..."Why re-invent the wheel?")

    1. Eat the appropriate caloric (and macronutrient) intake for your goals and track intake accurately. I think eating mostly nutrient dense and whole foods while still allowing some "treats" is a reasonable starting point/guideline.
    2. Exercise regularly. Do something you enjoy or at worst case choose the least objectionable activity. Ideally you should include some form of resistance based training as a part of your program.
    3. Get adequate rest/sleep.
    4. Establish metrics and use them appropriately.
    5. Repeat.

    Good luck to you! You can do it!
    smile
    #goteammfp
  • jlar09
    jlar09 Posts: 99
    Hi! I'm relatively new to this too, but this is what has helped me thus far:

    1. Cutting out all sugary things (natural sugar from fruits is okay)
    2. Food scale! I just got one and I adore it. It really helps with accurate tracking.
    3. Protein for every meal! My doctor told me this and I think it's really helped. I have a protein shake for breakfast (30-35g protein), some raw nuts and cheese with fruit and vegetables for lunch, and a salad with chicken and usually some sort of nut for dinner.
    4. Adding a bunch of friends on MFP! I love giving support and also seeing supportive comments on my successes. I also participate a lot on the website to keep me feeling motivated.
    5. Throwing away clothes that become too big. I have just started having to do this, but buying all my clothes a size smaller (I used to be an 18 and now all my jeans are 14 and 16...I can't fit into the 14s yet, but I will soon! I also bought a leather jacket for the spring time that is a little too small right now. I've gotten rid of the bigger clothes. It's so freeing!

    Anyway, good luck to you!! You will do so great! I'll add you for sure.
  • barrybbean
    barrybbean Posts: 1 Member
    I've lost a little over 150 lbs over the past 2 years, and can offer the following suggestions:
    1) Find what works for YOU. Published diets, what worked for your best friend, or what worked for me may or may not work for you.
    2) Set reasonable short term goals (i.e. 1-2 lbs a week).
    3) Set reasonable exercise goals. I started with 5 minutes a day on the treadmill. Now I'm riding 100-200 miles a week on my bike. That didn't happen overnight, but the biggest thing was doing SOMETHING every single day.
    4) Obviously, since you're hear, you know that food/exercise/weight tracking is a great tool. Stick with it.
    5) I liked the suggestion about "kryptonite foods". I only gave up a couple of things, but I got them out of my house and office and tried to avoid being around them long enough that the temptation lowered.
    6) Hang in there and don't get discourtaged. It gets easier.
  • All the above and also looking at people's before and after photos can be totally inspiring!!
  • tasharock
    tasharock Posts: 136 Member
    Pre-logging helped me immensely. I'd even do two or three days in advance, which was motivation to plan for and shop for healthy meals.
  • I've lost a little over 150 lbs over the past 2 years, and can offer the following suggestions:
    1) Find what works for YOU. Published diets, what worked for your best friend, or what worked for me may or may not work for you.
    2) Set reasonable short term goals (i.e. 1-2 lbs a week).
    3) Set reasonable exercise goals. I started with 5 minutes a day on the treadmill. Now I'm riding 100-200 miles a week on my bike. That didn't happen overnight, but the biggest thing was doing SOMETHING every single day.
    4) Obviously, since you're hear, you know that food/exercise/weight tracking is a great tool. Stick with it.
    5) I liked the suggestion about "kryptonite foods". I only gave up a couple of things, but I got them out of my house and office and tried to avoid being around them long enough that the temptation lowered.
    6) Hang in there and don't get discourtaged. It gets easier.

    I love this..." started with 5 minutes a day on the treadmill. Now I'm riding 100-200 miles a week on my bike." How wonderful!! Being an all or nothing type person, I generally would want to start at 100 miles/wk and then crash and burn. Its a messy process. To start out with 5min every day is doable and inspiring. Thank you for this!!!!
  • scrubman
    scrubman Posts: 31 Member
    You have already started just by being here. The number one thing to remember is that this is a journey not a race. This is not a diet its a life style change. Its about getting fit and healthy one day at a time. 1-2 pounds a week. That is only reducing your calorie intake by 750 calories a day than you take in. You can do this! I will keep an eye on you!:smile:
  • I need to lose 80-100 pounds and I'm starting over for the thousandth time (at age 36). What has worked in the past for me:
    lowering carb intake (it doesn't have to be zero but cutting down on carbs really helped me. I have PCOS though and that is one thing people with that condition usually try to do when dieting), Walk Away The Pounds (low imapct, easy, fun, anyone can do this DVD because it is not complicated. You can find them online to watch for free), and writing down everything you eat.

    Good luck to you! Maybe we can support each other through this journey. I'm doing this not just to look better or fit into a smaller size, but for my health and self-esteem.
  • Uzoh
    Uzoh Posts: 10 Member
    Although the number right now seems overwhelming, it is doable. Like many posts before have stated, you have to take it one day at a time and most importantly you need to do what works for you, even if you don't know what that is at this point. When I started I had 180lbs to lose and I was not sure what worked for me, but gradually I learned that taking it in chunks, month by month and resting (taking up to a week off working out) helped me get refocused and rejuvenated. There are a lot of resources both here and on the internet so just take a deep breath, put one foot in front of the other and never give up.
  • MOMMYofAISLYNNE
    MOMMYofAISLYNNE Posts: 12 Member
    Very sage advice and a great reminder for all of us!
    Set your major goal ( to lose 150 Pounds ) and a HEAP of mini goals.

    Clothes sizes top and bottom
    exercise goals. Finish a quarter/half/mile walk then beat the time.
    bmi goals
    weight loss in 5/10/20/50/100 pound chunks
    weight loss in 5/10/20/50 kilogram chunks ( The more goals the merrier )
    take every measurement and track them. Set goals around these.

    Remove negative people from your life.

    Learn to love vegetables if you don't already.

    Find and exercise you love. With 150 pounds to lose I would suggest you don't race into exercise. Your body tells you once it needs to get moving. You will have so much energy as the weight drops it needs to go somewhere.

    Drink a heap of water, you can't hear this one to much.

    If you have a partner, get them onboard you either do part or all of it with your or become your fan club :)

    Keep a look out for smells/situations that trigger overeating or poor eating decisions . I found I had a few of these I was never away of.

    Good luck. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want some moral support.
  • I just signed up to do a DietBet with Blogilates (seriously, an awesome site if you haven't checked it out before). It's a pretty sweet deal, and it's motivating me to continue moving back towards a healthy lifestyle. Different people are motivated by different things. It's important to figure out what motivates you. Feel free to add me as a friend, and we can motivate each other!
  • A major thing for me has been portion control, portion control, and portion control. I've tried the cold turkey deal before and made it a couple of weeks before destroying a large pizza. Have one thing you really like but in a smaller portion. For me, it's pizza. I like having one personal size pizza a week. It's only 350-400 calories and the fat in it is easily exercised out. That's my one cheat a week. I eat healthy otherwise.

    Best of luck on your journey.
  • hannakengu
    hannakengu Posts: 79 Member
    Set mini goals and mini rewards. I had/have mini goals with rewards set every 5lbs, and my rewards were things like one new decorated coffee mug (I collect a certain type of them...), lessons on a new sport (I tried pole dancing) or a movie night with your favorite movie, candles, healthy snacks etc. Just be sure to also set goals that aren't weight-oriented, such as losing a certain amount of inches, running 5/10/20 minutes/mails/kilometers, whatever works for how you're planning to do this.

    My favorite mini goal has two steps: first, plan the dinner menu for the whole week, and then stick to the plan without changing it (I've never experienced mine changing for the healthier, only worse).
  • dejavuohlala
    dejavuohlala Posts: 1,761 Member
    feel free to add me but i only support those that offer mutual support in return

    good luck with your journey
  • tfleischer
    tfleischer Posts: 199 Member
    Find someone outside of family but face-to-face who can do this with you, in addition to having friends and accountability partners online through MFP. I am fortunate enough to have a good friend who I meet weekdays in the morning. It is a little early for me, but fits his schedule, so I make it work. Knowing that someone is going to be there means a lot in that it makes it more difficult to hit the SNOOZE button and go back to sleep.

    Log everything and do it through the day, rather than by memory. If you have the APP on your phone, that is going to help a lot on the go. Be honest in the logging, even when you have eaten or drank something that you shouldn't have done. This will help the next time around so that you might make better choices.

    Outline the week ahead for both food and exercise. I find most of my bad choices are a result of not planning. The plans can change as schedule/work/kids/life changes, but have a plan.

    I find it best to limit or avoid WHITES: white rice, white bread, white potatoes, white sour cream, pastas, white salad dressings.
    Instead, I use brown rice, whole grain wheat or oat bread, sweet potatoes (which are actually much more flavorful than white potatoes), whole grain pastas, Greek non-fat yogurt, and oil-based salad dressings, or even balsamic vinegar and oil.
    Cheese is one of my many downfalls, so I have limited those as well. Sometimes, though, it is okay and maybe even better to just give in to the desire to eat it, but eat it in much smaller amounts.

    Stop eating out so much. Whether it is fast food, or dine-in food, it will be loaded with the things that make losing weight harder to do: unnecessary and excessive amounts of salt, fat, sugar and empty calories. When you do eat out, see if you can find the nutrition information that most chains and franchises publish on their websites beforehand. Also, MFP has a ton of this info in its app so search there ahead of time.

    Cooking at home is a great way to bring a family together and make better food choices. My wife works out after work, so I go home and cook a dinner to plan for it to be ready for her. On nights I have to cover meetings or sports events for work, she does the same for me. This does not always work out, but taking the time and making the effort makes it happen more often than not.

    When you go to the grocery store, stick to the outer aisles of the fresh produce and meats. By not picking up canned goods, prepared goods and frozen meals/pizzas, etc., you may find in the long run that you can actually save money.

    Here is a quick 30-minute meal idea that I have found to be a wonderful dinner:

    Salmon (I prefer the coho to farm-raised)
    Grainy, brown mustard coated on top and black pepper
    Brown rice
    Roasted brussels sprouts (fresh brussel sprouts, cut in half and drizzled with olive oil and then roasted in the pan at about 400)
    Cook the salmon and brussel sprouts for about the same time and temp, checking on them at 10 minutes and again at 15 minutes.
    You can buy quick cooking brown rice or Texmati brand, which cooks faster than the 45 minutes the label says, at least on my stove.
    Add a dessert of fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries with a little bit of non-fat Greek yogurt.
    You will spend (depending on local prices) about $25 to feed four to five people. Cheaper than KFC and maybe even McDs. And much better for you, too.


    And hummus can be a great healthful snack with raw veggies to dip.