I've got 176 pounds of excuses...want some??

bechamarie
bechamarie Posts: 8 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Okay, I am entirely joking about giving you any of my excuses. Because let's face it, what is an excuse worth? To me, nothing....but yet I've been full of them for a long time. I could sit here and tell you why I haven't found time time to focus on eating right and being active. I can sit here tell you why I gained as much weight as I have. I could probably give you an excuse for every question you could ask about my current situation.

I've been overweight as long as I can remember. I know that I can lose weight. I've done it before. I've lost weight by doing Weight Watchers in high school. I lost weight by just watching what I ate and working three different active jobs at the same time when I was 19. I lost weight by eating right and joining a gym after my first child. I know I can do it, I know the logic behind losing weight. I know why I want to lose weight. I know I need to lose weight. But yet I still find myself so full of excuses, all the time.

After my second child I was on quite the emotional roller coaster, topping my all time high weight of over 300 pounds just three months after my daughter my born. >>>Hi, I'm Rebecca and I'm a major emotional eater.<<< Now, seeing this number on the scale I wanted to cry for the first time ever about my weight. How in the world did I let this happen?

So here it is, according to what I've researched a healthy weight for someone like myself is roughly 150 pounds. That means I have 176 pounds to lose to reach this ideal weight. 176 pounds. I've got to this weight by making excuses for myself and making consistent poor decisions. What are you best tips or motivation for me?? I need to exchange this 176 pounds of excuses for 176 pounds of motivation and inspiration to get healthy for the first time in my life.

My plan at this point is to consistently track what I'm eating and follow the guidelines personalized for me on MFP. I plan to incorporate exercise into my life. Got anything else inspiring for me? Have any motivational advice? Any tips or information that could be beneficial?

Replies

  • Froody2
    Froody2 Posts: 338 Member
    Welcome and good luck with the next 1-3 years of weight loss and the rest of your life maintaining it. It's a wild ride, but you and your children are worth it.


    What I've learnt along the way:

    1. Don't rely on willpower, rely instead on habits that you build up over weeks and months. They'll last you for the rest of your life and help with maintenance later on.

    2. Allow yourself to be less than perfect.

    3. Don't demonise any food. It's not inherently bad or good.

    4. Don't start off with a large calorie deficit (unless medically indicated/supervised).

    5. Exercise isn't essential for weight loss, but it's desirable for general health. Find something you love doing and fit it in where you can. Maintaining muscle mass whilst dieting should be one of your goals.

    6. Be patient.

    7. Everyone who runs looks like a rock star (I'm a runner, I may be biased :tongue: )

    Lastly, read this. REALLY read it. Good luck :flowerforyou:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    (oh, and this ...just about the best blog I've ever read)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ShannonMpls/view/3-years-of-mfp-130-pounds-lost-what-i-ve-learned-669627
  • Luckee_me
    Luckee_me Posts: 1,425 Member
    Hi,
    Good luck to you.
  • bechamarie
    bechamarie Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you so much Froody! That blog you pointed me to is amazing! I couldn't stop reading it!

    And thanks Luckee! Just seeing you is quite an inspiration!
  • MrsShell17
    MrsShell17 Posts: 53 Member
    Hello there :smile:

    First of all, I really do appreciate your candor; I'm coming from the same "excuses for no reason" place of residence as you are, even the part about having lost weight and gotten into shape before. I know exactly what to do and how to do it (regarding what works for me) but nowadays, it seems harder to just DO IT! :noway: lol

    But I've gotten a new sense of motivation recently and am working my way back towards my healthy habits. So here is some advice from me to you:

    1) Prayer is POWERFUL. Know that you can't do this completely on your own....heck you've already made that known by coming here. So why not go to the One who without a doubt can help you? Trust me, He knows your plight; all you have to do is meet Him halfway by taking that first step! Being the Prayer Warrior that I am, I will spirtually agree with you in your request for motivation :-) #StrengthInNumbers

    2) Baby steps are key. If you try to jump into this thing head first then you can potentially become more discouraged, simply because you start to expect too much out of yourself too soon.
    That being said, a method I find simple yet immensely useful is to slowly but surely change your diet. Emotional eater? Replace your fave go-to junk with go-to jewels. Cry over a bag of baby carrots, angrily dive into a bowl of trail mix or happily munch on a fruit salad. You'll fill up quicker and feel better! Park farther from the entrance at work, at the grocery store, at your kids daycare. See what I mean? Small steps but big changes :-)

    3) Have someone you know hold you accountable. MFP is a great way to do it but it can still be a bit impersonal. If you choose not to log anything or if you don't get to know any of us on a personal level, it proves useless you know? Having someone close go on this journey with you makes all the difference: they are there to bug you and lovingly make you feel guilty if you don't stick to your guns lol

    I truly hope you are somewhat enlightened girlie....feel free to add me and I'll gladly be your cheerleader! :flowerforyou:
  • bechamarie
    bechamarie Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you Discipline14! I love all your steps. Baby steps are really what it is going to take to get this ball rolling!
  • shadowjack1965
    shadowjack1965 Posts: 107 Member
    I combined my steps into a humor story to help make the journey more fun.

    The fact you're here and starting again is a huge step.

    YOU CAN DO THIS!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1365511-time-to-go-to-the-mattresses
  • love8383
    love8383 Posts: 169
    my only advice is to keep going no matter how long it takes. Sometimes when you have a lot to lose it can feel like it will take forever but all those 1lb/ 2lb losses start adding up quick...and not to let bad days turn into weeks...good luck! :)
  • LadyArchangel
    LadyArchangel Posts: 124 Member
    YOU'RE AWESOME FOR TAKING THE FIRST STEP- DECIDING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT :flowerforyou:

    My advice to you...
    ~ Baby steps and never, ever giving up!
    I hit a plateau for 3 months due to surgery and vacation and a death in the family, but once my head was clear I broke through!
    ~ If it's a bad day and you've already gone over don't hate yourself, realize tomorrow's a new day.
    ~ Accept the fact that bad days WILL happen.
    ~ Take photos! You'll see progress. You have no idea how much I regret only taking 2 full body photos on the day I began.
    ~ Make friends on here. Seriously, they'll support you all the way!

    You'll do great!
  • plumbucket
    plumbucket Posts: 23
    Maybe this club should get jackets? 'Excuses for no good reason...no more!'

    But really, good luck! I am right in the same place you are though. I know what exercises I like (lifting and biking, aka power and freedom) and I know how to make things that I love that help me feel great. I don't always do them consistently though.

    I did best when I had a workout buddy last year and a group of people who were interested in my progress the year before that. So I have spoken with my sister about my goals (a personal form of accountability) and I have connected with a long distance trainer (another layer of accountability).

    I think that between finding something you love to do and someone to keep you honest, you're going to rock this thing :)
  • MrsShell17
    MrsShell17 Posts: 53 Member
    Awesome advice plumbucket....I know I got motivated off of that if no one else did lol :-)
  • bechamarie
    bechamarie Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you all for your advice and encouragement! It is great to read. I'm truly excited this go around thanks to all of this.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    You have to want to be healthy and fit more than you want the comfort and security of following old habits. People tend to follow the path of least resistance. The status quo is easy and comfortable. Change is scary and hard. But a healthy lifestyle becomes easy and comfortable once you're used to it. You can do this, but only if you make it a priority.

    Whatever you do to lose the weight needs to be something you are willing to do for the rest of your life. Nothing drastic, painful, overly complicated or temporary. It's got to be a permanent lifestyle change...if you want to KEEP it off. I've been maintaining here for over three years now. It becomes habit and it's easy for me to do, so I just keep doing it. Good luck! :drinker:
  • bechamarie
    bechamarie Posts: 8 Member
    You have to want to be healthy and fit more than you want the comfort and security of following old habits. People tend to follow the path of least resistance. The status quo is easy and comfortable. Change is scary and hard. But a healthy lifestyle becomes easy and comfortable once you're used to it. You can do this, but only if you make it a priority.

    Whatever you do to lose the weight needs to be something you are willing to do for the rest of your life. Nothing drastic, painful, overly complicated or temporary. It's got to be a permanent lifestyle change...if you want to KEEP it off. I've been maintaining here for over three years now. It becomes habit and it's easy for me to do, so I just keep doing it. Good luck! :drinker:


    Evvvvverything you just said there is exactly what's been in my mind! I am definitely not looking for the latest diet fad. What I want is to teach myself a healthy lifestyle change and continue that throughout my life. Thank you!
  • ekahnicole
    ekahnicole Posts: 216 Member
    I started with 159 pounds to lose, now I just have 50 to go. Feel free to add me, I don't comment much but I log in every day
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    You have quite the marathon ahead of you, but other people here have done it and so can you.
    So here it is, according to what I've researched a healthy weight for someone like myself is roughly 150 pounds.
    That means I have 176 pounds to lose to reach this ideal weight.
    So you're currently about 325. You need 3250 calories per day to maintain that weight.
    To drop 2 lb per week, cut 1000 calories to 2250.
    As you lose weight, keep nudging that down until you reach 1500, which will take you to your goal weight.
    My doctor & dietician say to ignore the "net" calories, just pay attention to your intake. If you're very hungry at the end of the day, eat back 1/3 to 1/2 what you burned that day in exercise.
    What are you best tips or motivation for me??
    - Make small changes and hang onto them. Then make them larger. Don't try to jump in & cut your intake to 1200 calories tomorrow, while also lifting weights for an hour and running on the elliptical for 2 hours.
    - Be patient with yourself. You didn't get fat overnight and you're not going to get healthy overnight either. Also realize that you will feel frustrated because this takes a while, no matter how often you remind yourself that you didn't get here overnight.
    - As you start shrinking out of your clothes, keep one pair of fat pants and when you get to your goal weight marvel that you can now stand in one leg of them.
    - Take pictures when you start, then every 15-20 lb as you go. You don't have to show them to anyone if you don't want to, but I promise YOU will want to be able to look back and marvel at the changes you've made.
    - Set small intermediate goals. Celebrate every 5 lb, every time you go down one BMI number, when you drop a clothing size, when you drop out of the obese category and are merely overweight, then when you finally get into the healthy weight range.
    - Keep a log of when you reach those goals. Post it somewhere that you'll see it frequently.
    - Here's a BMI chart: http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf
    For your initial goal, aim for the highest number in the healthy weight range. When you get there, see how you feel & if you want to go a bit lower, do it.
    - Weigh yourself every morning after you pee, naked if you can manage it. Write it on your calendar. When you lose weight, check in here. (Otherwise the stupid machine will announce every time you lose the same 2 lb over & over when you hit a plateau.)


    Eat about half your calories for breakfast, and a small dinner, which is the reverse of what most Americans do.
    This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
    with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].

    "The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
    In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.

    Here's the abstract:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957

    Here's a PDF of the whole article.
    http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf
    "subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
    Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf
    "data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437


    Here's a blog post I did about setting goals: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/setting-goals-667045
    It talks about goal weight & calories.

    Here's a blog post I did about exercise: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/exercise-667080

    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake. However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    Whether you have 176 lbs to lose or 20......it can be done and it will be done. My own observation/advice

    1. Time flies. It may seem so far away, but once you get on a roll...you will stop counting the days and it just becomes your everyday routine.

    2. Slow and steady. Every week will be different, sometimes you will lose...sometimes you will not. Bottom line is that the good habits will ensure success so do not be discouraged and give up. I doubt anyone using this site has lost weight every week. Plan for plateaus and know that they should not derail you!

    3. Eating is the most important thing. Exercise is amazing for you, and will help build and shape your body, but eating healthy is very very important. Throw in some weight training and you will supercharge your results.

    Thats all I got for now. Add me if you wanna correspond more.
  • bechamarie
    bechamarie Posts: 8 Member
    You have quite the marathon ahead of you, but other people here have done it and so can you.
    So here it is, according to what I've researched a healthy weight for someone like myself is roughly 150 pounds.
    That means I have 176 pounds to lose to reach this ideal weight.
    So you're currently about 325. You need 3250 calories per day to maintain that weight.
    To drop 2 lb per week, cut 1000 calories to 2250.
    As you lose weight, keep nudging that down until you reach 1500, which will take you to your goal weight.
    My doctor & dietician say to ignore the "net" calories, just pay attention to your intake. If you're very hungry at the end of the day, eat back 1/3 to 1/2 what you burned that day in exercise.
    What are you best tips or motivation for me??
    - Make small changes and hang onto them. Then make them larger. Don't try to jump in & cut your intake to 1200 calories tomorrow, while also lifting weights for an hour and running on the elliptical for 2 hours.
    - Be patient with yourself. You didn't get fat overnight and you're not going to get healthy overnight either. Also realize that you will feel frustrated because this takes a while, no matter how often you remind yourself that you didn't get here overnight.
    - As you start shrinking out of your clothes, keep one pair of fat pants and when you get to your goal weight marvel that you can now stand in one leg of them.
    - Take pictures when you start, then every 15-20 lb as you go. You don't have to show them to anyone if you don't want to, but I promise YOU will want to be able to look back and marvel at the changes you've made.
    - Set small intermediate goals. Celebrate every 5 lb, every time you go down one BMI number, when you drop a clothing size, when you drop out of the obese category and are merely overweight, then when you finally get into the healthy weight range.
    - Keep a log of when you reach those goals. Post it somewhere that you'll see it frequently.
    - Here's a BMI chart: http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf
    For your initial goal, aim for the highest number in the healthy weight range. When you get there, see how you feel & if you want to go a bit lower, do it.
    - Weigh yourself every morning after you pee, naked if you can manage it. Write it on your calendar. When you lose weight, check in here. (Otherwise the stupid machine will announce every time you lose the same 2 lb over & over when you hit a plateau.)


    Eat about half your calories for breakfast, and a small dinner, which is the reverse of what most Americans do.
    This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
    with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].

    "The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
    In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.

    Here's the abstract:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957

    Here's a PDF of the whole article.
    http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf
    "subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
    Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
    Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf
    "data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24809437


    Here's a blog post I did about setting goals: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/setting-goals-667045
    It talks about goal weight & calories.

    Here's a blog post I did about exercise: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/exercise-667080

    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake. However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html

    Seriously, thank you for this information! It is all truly great!
  • bechamarie
    bechamarie Posts: 8 Member
    Whether you have 176 lbs to lose or 20......it can be done and it will be done. My own observation/advice

    1. Time flies. It may seem so far away, but once you get on a roll...you will stop counting the days and it just becomes your everyday routine.

    2. Slow and steady. Every week will be different, sometimes you will lose...sometimes you will not. Bottom line is that the good habits will ensure success so do not be discouraged and give up. I doubt anyone using this site has lost weight every week. Plan for plateaus and know that they should not derail you!

    3. Eating is the most important thing. Exercise is amazing for you, and will help build and shape your body, but eating healthy is very very important. Throw in some weight training and you will supercharge your results.

    Thats all I got for now. Add me if you wanna correspond more.


    Slow and steady is something I think will definitely help keep it off for good. Along with diet change and exercise of course. Thank you!

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