need to lose over 200lbs :(

dinaqueena
dinaqueena Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I downloaded fitnesspal over a year ago, just never did anything with it...till now.

I've been baby stepping my way to losing weight for my health recently.

I have gout. :( so a lot of excercises just aren't good for my knee and feet joints....so I've been focusing on limiting calories...making better choices.

I should joing a gym with a pool but am waaaaay too intimidated to walk into a place where most everyone is in shape. For now, I'm just going to start out casually walking around my neighborhood (at night). Maybe try a few mins of excercise videos...cause Lord knows at my current condition I couldn't finish oneif I tried. But that is one of my goals.

Not sure what weight I really started at..but it was well above 360 a few months ago. I've gone down a size in clothes and now weigh 346lbs.

I have a LONG way to go and am looking for a few friends on here for support and to be supportive. Encouragement, tips, ideas...etc...

Good Luck to you all, and thanks for taking the time to read this.

:) Dina

Replies

  • TheCriz76
    TheCriz76 Posts: 83 Member
    You've got this. Just take it one day at a time :)
  • kevinfishers
    kevinfishers Posts: 15
    You made the right choice by wanting to get into shape and lose weight! definitely don't sweat going to a gym they're overrated and really only for specialized goals but just losing weight the most important thing is diet. The positive part about being overweight is that if you stick to a good diet, the weight will melt off as its easier to lose weight the bigger you are and you'll look and feel much better, its good you're adding exercise in too that definitely will help the diet as well as your health.
  • Gr8ChangesAhead
    Gr8ChangesAhead Posts: 836 Member
    All friends welcome. Don't let anyone intimidate you - go to the pool it is excellent exercise and much easier on your joints. walking is also good. make good choices, and one day at a time, make sure you are logging accurately (weigh and measure)
  • OKfarmgal
    OKfarmgal Posts: 160 Member
    You are more than welcome to add me!! I have about 100lbs to get rid of forever!! I love to encourage because I have been encouraged by several great women. :flowerforyou:
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    people who may be fitter than you tend to understand the work required to get/stay that way and therefore admire others who are working at it as well. Those are that don't are jerks anyway so...
  • janwalters338
    janwalters338 Posts: 1 Member
    You can do it. If losing weight and being healthy was easy, everyone would be skinnier. I've also tried losing weight with no success. In March, my doctor told me I was at a fork in the road. Either lose weight and control my blood sugar or I was a heart attack waiting to happen. Well, that did it for me. I never knew I loved carbs so much. But, like you, I'm down a couple of sizes. That is motivation. Jan
  • Rill154
    Rill154 Posts: 3
    Good for you for taking the first steps. Just keep moving forward. You've done well so far. It's good that you are making small goals for yourself like working up to finishing an exercise video. Keep doing that. It is very helpful when you have such a large goal far out in the distance. I would say "good luck," but it isn't about luck. It's about hard work and determination.
  • lifestyle8change
    lifestyle8change Posts: 13
    Hi and welcome. You took the first step to log your food. You can do this by taking one step and one day at a time. Even if you mess up, you will have a new start tomorrow. I'm here for you, we can do this together
  • dinaqueena
    dinaqueena Posts: 2
    Thanks y'all. So awesome to have such great encouragement from my first post! :) Looking forward to traveling this road with you all.
  • Sie_Con
    Sie_Con Posts: 101 Member
    Congrats on starting! I have about 100 to lose and I log and check in daily, I'll add you.
    Walking is a great way to start, you'll find yourself adding more and more time walking and feeling better everyday. Continue to challenge yourself and don't give up after 1 bad day, or a bad week. A consistent effort and constant logging will get you where you want to be!
  • Wilmingtonbelle
    Wilmingtonbelle Posts: 255 Member
    You took the biggest step, congrats! I have around 100# to lose, it's a lot. I'm focusing on eating well, exercise, and making small changes which I can sustain. I began with a walking regime because I was embarrassed. I now am doing C25K and could careless what people think. I'm doing this for me, not them! You will find as you see results, you will become confident and fierce!!! :bigsmile:

    There are so many supportive, inspirational people here. Surround yourself with them! I welcome friend requests from anyone who is supportive, positive, and motivated.

    Best wishes on your journey!

    Sláinte! :drinker:
  • mommagettingfit
    mommagettingfit Posts: 2 Member
    Hi Dina,

    I'm Roslyn, and I weighed 351 pounds at one time. Got down to 265, got married, had two babies, and started again at 325...I'm down to 293 now and starting to feel like I can do this again.

    Don't let anyone intimidate you at the gym. There are plenty of places I feel judged (hello, I live in Los Angeles), but the gym is never one of them. What can someone say about a heavy person at the gym? That they need to go to the gym? Ha! Already there.

    You've got a great plan. Keep at it, keep focused, keep your head held high.
  • starrylioness
    starrylioness Posts: 543 Member
    One day at a time! :smile:
  • FaylinaMeir
    FaylinaMeir Posts: 661 Member
    honestly sweetie when in shape people see you in the gym most of them are inspired! I'm a larger woman too and when I see other large people running or jogging on the trail or riding a bike I always think good for them! The people I look down on are the folks in the wheelchairs at walmart drinking 64 oz soda drinks (no offense to anyone) they have given up and you haven't so keep your head up and be proud!
  • Jett8888
    Jett8888 Posts: 43 Member
    I started at 312 with gout in my left knee. I bought a semi recumbent bike and started riding it every day. I also tried to eat gout friendly foods like blueberries and cherries. After a lot of determination and a few set backs I am glad to say I have no gout pain. I am also back to losing weight. You can do this!!! I can do this!!! We all can
  • dorlic
    dorlic Posts: 10 Member
    HI Dina, I am at 391, down from 419 and my overall target is to lose @200 myself. I have only been doing this for 38 days and I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone! As for the gym? forget, save your money and walk... you're beginning a journey after all. ;-) But i will echo what others have said, count your calories is king. Watch the sneaky calories, plan your meals, hyper focus on maintaining this routine for a month and it will soon become second-hand. Good luck to you.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Hello, I'm in the same boat as you needing to lose 150+. I hope you have stamina to go for the long run because a year from now you will feel amazing! When I started I could barely walk 2 minutes straight, now I can brisk walk an incline with flying colors and even have a few 2 minute runs in between walking periods.

    The reason I'm still holding on is that I went in with realistic expectation. I did not go in expecting to lose it all within within a year. I did not go in expecting that everything will be perfect. You are in for many stumbles, falls, and get ups.

    The first few months are both the easiest and the hardest. Easiest because you can easily lose 2-4 pounds a week and easily burn 500 calories an hour by just walking at a moderate pace with no incline at all. Hardest because it has a steep learning curve of what works for you and what doesn't. I highly recommend incline walking by the way, it burns as many calories as running without needing to move your legs too fast where it hurts your knees or subject your joints to the dangers of running.

    Just be prepared that at some point 2 pounds a week will become unreasonable. Your burns during exercise will diminish, and you will have less leeway or room for error. Don't give up, someday you will get there no matter how many years it takes, just be prepared that it WILL take years, you better make the process as simple and natural as possible.

    Trust me it's all worth it.. the little things like the first time the tape measure actually fits around you with no gap, the first time you are able to tie your own shoelaces without being a contortionist, feeling like a champion the first time you are able to run for 15 continuous seconds... showering is easier, moving around is easier, less heat rash.. and the list goes on. Every second of it is worth it no matter how long it takes you.
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
    I have gout. :( so a lot of excercises just aren't good for my knee and feet joints....so I've been focusing on limiting calories...making better choices.

    Hi Dina,

    I started with significant knee pain, maxing out on meds at the time. I was facing a choice of weight loss or knee replacement.
    I cleaned up my intake, and started walking, because that was all I could do. A mile was as far as I could go in the beginning, between fitness and knee tenderness. Then it became a mile 2x a day, then 3x. Over time, I dropped weight, extended the distance and the pace. Now, at 100 lbs down, I'm "running" on the elliptical 3x a week, and on the last two Saturdays I did 9.5 mile hikes.
    So even if you can't do a lot of exercises due to you knee, I'm hoping you make the most of walking to get yourself going.

    My knee is so much better (not healed, mind you) that a) I'm off the pain meds and b) seriously considering a ski holiday this weekend. Now doing squats to build up the legs further for that trip.

    My only regret ... that I was too self-conscious to join a gym right away. I joined one two months ago, and now wish I had started lifting sooner.

    Best of luck to you! You'll get there, one step at a time.

    Cheers

    PS - I'll still eventually need knee surgery, but the doc says I've pushed it out by about 10 years now.
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
    Hi Dina. I started about where you did. I'm down 100 and have another 100 to go. Lots of great advice in this thread. I did the walking at night thing too! I'll just echo that you can do this, as can we all! :flowerforyou:

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