Weight loss help...

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milyba
milyba Posts: 49
in Health and Weight Loss
What came first the depression or the weight?
I'm i fat because I'm depressed or
Am I depressed because I'm fat?

Also I'm struggling because everyone on this MFP is losing weight but when I try there "diet, idea, lifestyle, suggestion" I only gain.....

I am willing to try anything but what is it I need to do?

Replies

  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
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    What came first the depression or the weight?
    I'm i fat because I'm depressed or
    Am I depressed because I'm fat?

    Also I'm struggling because everyone on this MFP is losing weight but when I try there "diet, idea, lifestyle, suggestion" I only gain.....

    I am willing to try anything but what is it I need to do?

    count you calories, weight and measure your foods and drinks, keep finding new ways to be more active and above all else journal journal journal. you can eat what you want but ou have to count the calories.
  • kiwitechgirl
    kiwitechgirl Posts: 145 Member
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    You need to log your food as accurately as possible. Weigh solid food, measure liquids carefully and put everything in your diary. Start by doing that for a week without altering your eating habits, and then you will start to see where you can make changes to cut calories. Eating at a deficit is the only way you will lose weight, and tracking accurately is the only way to be sure you're eating at that deficit.
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,588 Member
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    try to be kinder to yourself -- trust me I know how hard it is to do that when you are depressed & hate yourself

    are you in therapy right now?? If not I suggest you look into finding a therapist / psychologist you feel comfortable with ...what a task I know I know but it could help--again I get it

    it is hard not to compare ourselves to other people especially when we are suffering from mental health issues.Maybe find more friends on mfp who also suffer from mental health issues who can relate and support you better
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Well, looking at your diary:

    (1) You're not logging every day
    (2) On those days you're logging, you're hundreds of calories over your goal.

    Neither of these are going to lead to a successful outcome.

    My suggestions:

    (1) Set a reasonable goal. 1200 calorie budget usually means you're trying to lose weight too quickly. Why set yourself up for failure? Reset your goal to something reasonable, like 1 pound per week.
    (2) Log everything you eat, when you eat it. If necessary, plan what you're going to eat the day before, so you know exactly what your're going to eat. Eat up to your target calories, but don't go over.

    Losing weight is just a matter of sticking to your calorie deficit -- but you gotta be serious about it. It's not something you can take seriously only every couple of days a week.

    Good luck with your journey!
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    Ditch the Starbucks. If you must get something there go for unsweetened tea or black coffee. But cutting out those frappes and frozen processed foods will leave a lot of room for more nutrition. (Atleast until you can work those treats in without going over on cals) Try making coffee at home and eating eggs or oatmeal for breakfast.
    Good luck!
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
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    I have and continue to struggle with this myself sometimes. You do NEED to feel worthy of having the body you want and deserve if you are going to take the first step. If you don't believet hat you deserve better you will never help yourself in getting anything better. It's true in all aspects of life - not just weight loss.

    Use positive self talk - tell yourself in the mirror you deserve it. Tell yourself you're awesome, beautiful etc. And then slowly but surely incorporate small changes. If you really want something sweet, instead of a frappe from Starbucks eat a Hershey's Kiss (just one or two :)) or whatever does the trick. When you start phasing things out and substituting healthier things you'll start to see differences.

    What works for me won't work for you. What works for you won't work for me necessarily on how we achieve the calorie deficit. But you HAVE to believe you are worth the effort
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    Why do you want to lose weight? What is it keeping your from doing that you want to do?

    For me, it's about balance and reward. It can be hard to deny yourself something right now in order to meet a future need. But in your own mind somewhere you have to decide it's worth it. We want to help. But you do have to take the first steps yourself. And that can be hard. Trust me, I know. You're in control, you really are. And we can help give you tips if you find you have specific areas you want help with. But it's hard for us to give advice to a general question. You have to see the bigger picture and bigger goal yourself.

    For me, it helps my depression and binging if I'm never, ever hungry. Never. If I'm hungry, I eat. WHAT it is I eat is what's changed from when I was morbidly obese.
  • MVY_
    MVY_ Posts: 253 Member
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    Hey! Don't be discouraged. You can do it. It's going to take a lot of determination in you to keep going. Don't let this little setback make you get frustrated. Record your food intake accurately and you should be well your way there.
  • glowgirl14
    glowgirl14 Posts: 200 Member
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    I say this with no criticism or judgement. You're fat because you eat too much. Maybe you eat too much because you're depressed. Maybe you're depressed because you eat too much. Either way, you have issues with food that make it more than just the fuel it's supposed to be. I'm not saying this to be mean - I've been there. Sometimes I'm still there. But taking ownership of this problem is the first step in solving it.

    Everyone here could tell you a thousand things to help you lose weight - and 999 of them would probably work. But if you're not following these things consistently, none of them will work.

    I don't know how much you weigh, and some here will disagree with me, but I am of the firm belief that 1200 calories a day is too little. And even if it wasn't, you're eating waaay over that on the days you log. Maybe if you upped your calorie goal to something more reasonable, it would be easier to stick with this.

    Depression is a real thing...and can be crippling. If you try and change too many things, or change too drastically, it might not work. Set MFP to lose a pound a week, or even half a pound a week...you'll have more calories to work with...and be less prone to failure. You did not get fat overnight, and any quick fix will not last. Slow and consistent is the way to lose...Lose slowly, and try and understand the reasons you want more food than you need. Learn to recognize your triggers. And try and replace food with other things that aren't damaging to your health. It's a slow process, but it does snowball. If you can get the motivation to start and stick with it, you will start to see results. :)
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Not everybody is losing. Last year at this time I was at 115 pounds lost. I'm now just below 90 pounds lost.

    Log everything down to the condiments, and be real about it. When I first started on MFP, I had a dietician I was working with. She couldn't help me unless I was being real about what I was eating. I have to count that tablespoon or two of mayo I put on my sandwiches, the dipping sauce for the chicken nuggets, the ketchup for the fries, etc. It all has calories and salt that play into your numbers for the day.

    Working with a dietician would be a good idea too. That'll help you better qualify your food decisions. More quality protein, choose starches/carbs carefully, etc.

    Get a fitbit. It syncs with MFP and gives you a chart of calories burned vs. calorie intake. As long as you burn more than you take in, you're going to lose weight.

    After the first month of going to the dietician, I remember her looking at me in a "get real" sort of mode, and saying, "Do you want to lose weight?" I said, "Well, yeah...." and a little voice in my head said, "Then act like it."

    Take little steps that aren't as scary....then add to them. Log everything. Then drink more water. Then talk to a nutritionist. Then get a fitbit. Make sure you ease into it in a way that you're not going to blow yourself out by trying to do it all at once.
  • Maridar
    Maridar Posts: 164 Member
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    I got discouraged so many times and was depressed because I was and am still fat... well above my healthy weight etc. But you'll get there slowly but surely. Yes, be honest with yourself in the first place, measure, journal what you eat, otherwise it'll be just more frustrating and depressing that you are getting any results, but it is you and only you and nobody else to blame:) it is your body and you put the food in your mouth, you make choices. Spring is coming, no hiding under coats, etc.:) just start doing it!
  • keya729
    keya729 Posts: 166 Member
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    You want to try something that works for you. Trust me that I was becoming discouraged because I gained back about 10lbs of the 40lbs that I've lost. I looked to others to see what they were doing and it just wasn't for me. You and I both need to step back reevaluate what the purpose of our weight loss is and start from there. We can both motivate each other. :flowerforyou:
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
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    What worked for me is hitting bottom. When my wife bought me 42" waist pants that was the last straw. Something in me snapped and I really decided to take action. It was just like in Rocky when he gets the eye of the tiger! That's what you need, the eye of the tiger. Looking at your log, you are not serious about this yet--eating 6 chocolate truffles for lunch is not something someone with a serious weight loss plan does. Do some soul searching and get some counseling if it will help. You have to get sincerely committed to this before it will work.

    A couple tips that have worked for me. Eat green stuff (broccoli, beans, lettuce, etc.), it's full of fiber and nutrients and its pretty on your plate. Like someone said, knock off the Starbuck's and take the thousands of dollars you save and spend it on a gym membership. Break a sweat everyday (walk, run, bike, lift weights, swim, push-ups, whatever). The best thing you can do is manage your net calories closely and give yourself more to eat by working out. It will become a virtuous circle and get you out of your vicious one.
  • keya729
    keya729 Posts: 166 Member
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    What worked for me is hitting bottom. When my wife bought me 42" waist pants that was the last straw. Something in me snapped and I really decided to take action. It was just like in Rocky when he gets the eye of the tiger! That's what you need, the eye of the tiger. Looking at your log, you are not serious about this yet--eating 6 chocolate truffles for lunch is not something someone with a serious weight loss plan does. Do some soul searching and get some counseling if it will help. You have to get sincerely committed to this before it will work.

    A couple tips that have worked for me. Eat green stuff (broccoli, beans, lettuce, etc.), it's full of fiber and nutrients and its pretty on your plate. Like someone said, knock off the Starbuck's and take the thousands of dollars you save and spend it on a gym membership. Break a sweat everyday (walk, run, bike, lift weights, swim, push-ups, whatever). The best thing you can do is manage your net calories closely and give yourself more to eat by working out. It will become a virtuous circle and get you out of your vicious one.

    Great advice wanting to change and actually doing it are two different demons. Making yourself be in control about what you eat and drink will also help.
  • kncybul
    kncybul Posts: 13
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    I just started so I have no advice other than to not give up!
  • Sunshine2plus2
    Sunshine2plus2 Posts: 1,492 Member
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    According to your food diary you dont log much and the other times you have hundreds sometimes thousands of calories over! If you truly want to lose weight you would start making better food choices, weighing and measuring everything and doing some exercise!

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