Need to start slow - Can I still lose weight

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amwoods72
amwoods72 Posts: 35 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello - I am 41 years old about 5' 5" and I NEED to lose 100 pounds :sad: . I have tried before and hit plateaus and go back to old ways and gain it all back. I am tired though of not even being able to make my bed without my back hurting or tying my shoes without getting out of breath. I am a student and I am pretty lazy and I tend to procrastinate. It hurts after a while to walk and I get a pinch in my back and have to stop after 10 min or so. Eating - Don't get me started. I honestly don't eat that much partly because I have the palate of a flippn' toddler. I do NOT eat chicken, turkey or fish - YUCK!!! I will eat very lean ground beef, but that is it for my meat intake. Am I doomed to stay heavy and out of shape with my lack of activity and food intake LOL :) Will walking out slowly be a good start to get something going? I will add more eventually, but it is SOOOOOOOO hard. Support would be great and some motivation. Thank you for hearing my rant.

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  • Mygsds
    Mygsds Posts: 1,564 Member
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    You can do anything you set your mind to.. Get a good food scale and start logging your food. Just starting I know is tough, but you can do this. You mentioned walking. Try one block then try to increase every few days. If I don't exercise everyday, I lose more slowly. Add me As a friend if you would like. Best to you...
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
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    I honestly don't eat that much partly because I have the palate of a flippn' toddler. I do NOT eat chicken, turkey or fish - YUCK!!! I will eat very lean ground beef, but that is it for my meat intake.

    Are you sure you are being honest? You don't get to 100 pounds overweight by not overeating. That said, yes, you need to exercise. Walking is great, it is perfect for you because it's easy on the knees. You need to manage your net calories and operate at a deficit. I'm concerned about your diet, as you say, it might be narrow on the protein side and likely heavy on carbs. Protein is your friend, look for foods high in protein that you like--perhaps find a dietician to help you with that.

    Set a goal to lose 10 pounds, you will feel a difference in that. I found that as I lost my energy level went up and I was able to exercise more, the snowball effect.

    This takes effort and maturity to be successful. Be truthful to yourself--that starts with a food scale and reading labels. You might be uncomfortable from time to time, expect it and deal with it. Keep reading the message board, learn from others and you will be on your way.
  • amwoods72
    amwoods72 Posts: 35 Member
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    I really don't eat a ton anymore is what I should have said. I have not gained anything in years, but I am not losing it either. I am not active and that is my problem. It has taken 20 years to put on this 100 pounds. Thanks guys - I've lost weight before - I just have to get up and move.
  • MrsSausage58
    MrsSausage58 Posts: 143 Member
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    I'm 41 and 5'5" too - feel free to add me if you like. :flowerforyou:
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
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    Start with weighing and logging your food. Get a real understanding of what you are eating. If you can look at ways to increase your protein. Protein is your friend during weight loss. Are eggs or protein supplements an option?

    The best exercise to start with is walking. Even if you can't go far or for very long, start small and keep increasing. Rather than try to increase pace, work on increasing the time you walk to your target. Once you hit your target time, then work on increasing the pace. I have found it helps to log time and distances (free MapMyWalk phone app) helps because I can see the improvements.

    The weight didn't go on overnight and it won't go off overnight either. Make small habit changes that you are willing to sustain for the rest of your life.
  • blovesit
    blovesit Posts: 20
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    Maybe you could start logging and people could have a look at your diary? :smile:
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
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    Set a reasonable deficit and weigh and log absolutely everything and you will lose weight, this is how I started. It doesn't matter where your calories come from for weight loss alone. As you start to see the weight come off you'll probably want to eat healthier food and try new things. I know once I stopped adding salt to my food my tastes changed completely and I now eat fruits and vegetables that I always despised before. And make sure you get plenty of water. At 100lbs overweight I think I was advised to drink 12 glasses per day (3 litres) this habit has stuck with me. Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
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    logging accurately may also help you as:
    weight loss <> calorie deficit

    though excercise can contribute to that deficit, you can do it without too

    for me a key was working out which of the food that i ate made me feel fuller for longer and which were a ton of cals that i didn't really enjoy or notice - accurate loggin helps work this out

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