Is this a good starting point?

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DiminutiveDame
DiminutiveDame Posts: 45 Member
in Getting Started
Afternoon.

I have started this journey many, many times and each time let it slide. Each time I have been determined. This time I am all that and more, the difference is; I'm at rock bottom and the only way is up.
I have been loosing and re gaining the same 20lbs over and over, though in the last few weeks I'm actually loosing and keeping off.
I don't eat terribly, most of the food is fresh, it's just a lot of large portions which I'm slowly changing. And more to the point, I have been keeping withing y calorie allowance.
I'm a housewife and seeing as it's not my house I spend a LOT of time sitting around and gaming, bad habit I know. I also only get to make some of my meals so with others I will just try to eat less to save an argument.
Saying all that I am using an exercise bite, pretty much zero resistance, and doing at least 15-20mins a day. I tail bone/*kitten* gets very sore easily so it's hard to stay on and I am very unfit. But I am working up to more, I want to be able to stay on for at least an hour each day by Christmas.

My questions is this; is this a good starting point? Yes I'm losing a little weight (When I eat better.) but I guess I am looking for a little reassurance that I'm on the right track.

Replies

  • cosmonew
    cosmonew Posts: 513 Member
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    Don't let others be your excuse. You can measure portions of the food others cook and then put it on your plate and eat with them. Or prepare your own food and eat with them... or choose the healthier options in a family style meal.
    Get a scale and some measuring cups and log your food.... then you know exactly what amount of calories you are consuming.
    FORCE yourself to get away from the gaming chair and do a little walking or a few indoor active moves...get a game that has you do some sort of fitness.
    Anywhere is a good place to start, but if you don't like your current results, you must change your behavior.
  • southernbuttercup
    southernbuttercup Posts: 61 Member
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    Any start is a good start. That first step is what it takes to get you in the right direction to your goals. I started out in January making small changes to my diet. I gave up my daily vending machine trips at work and exchanged them for snacks like apples whenever I started feeling hungry. I also gave up soft drinks and started getting a hold of my portion sizes. I then started trying to fill myself up with more fresh veggies and fruit so I wouldn't feel hungry after eating a small portion of my main meal. Not to discourage exercise, but I lost 18 pounds before I started adding some exercise into my routine. It was when I hit a plateau at 27 pounds lost that I upped my exercise routine. I was stuck for almost 3 months without losing weight when I decided to join MFP a few weeks ago. I found that logging my food and the increased exercise started my weight loss again. Now I have a better handle on what true portion sizes are and how many calories certain foods really have. It helps me make better decisions on what I want to eat. I feel taking small steps has helped me to stay on track instead of doing what I have done in the past and going immediately on restrictive diets and exercise plans that I can't maintain. In the past I've lost weight fast, but gained it right back as soon as I got tired of being restricted to certain foods. This time I'm losing weight slow, but I don't feel like Im starving and trying to break out of a straight jacket. I feel like I can continue and make true lasting changes.
  • DiminutiveDame
    DiminutiveDame Posts: 45 Member
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    For the record, I wasn't making any excuses. If I was I could say I'm suffering from depression, I get terrible back pain and I have a shoulder injury that makes lifting any kind of weight painful. I get panic attacks that often leave me in pain, I don't live near a park, gym, pool etc.
    But I'm not making excuses, just making the bast that I can of my situation at this point in time. And I did mention that I eat with the family, I just eat a smaller amount to fit within my calorie allowance.
    I am aware I need to do more, be more active, but as a 300+ lb person that is quite difficult to start off with, I don't actually want to hurt myself and end up on my *kitten* because of an injury.

    I'm just hoping that I'm on the right track and seeing as I have no support/ motivation system, I came here..
  • BrokenBelles
    BrokenBelles Posts: 19 Member
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    I can relate to starting a lot but never really getting lasting results. I'm doing better than I have in years, and I think it's because my doctor has intervened and is holding me accountable with monthly weigh ins. Can you talk to your Dr about a plan to lose weight? If all they do is say "eat less and exercise more" imo that isn't really helpful and you could try seeing a new doctor.

    Also, I have extended family living with me and I only make dinner 2x per week. Everyone in my house knows I'm trying to lose weight so they have been including more veggies, leaving them un buttered, etc. Maybe your housemates would be open to making healthier meals when they cook as well.

    Are you comfortable walking? That's my preferred method of exercise and so far I always lose if I take a couple of walks in a week.
  • pepin1224
    pepin1224 Posts: 21 Member
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    Try swimming, its low impact and that might with the soreness. Its a great place to start as well because it burns a lot of calories. Just beware "swimmer munchies" is very real.
  • Cerakoala
    Cerakoala Posts: 2,547 Member
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    Hello :) It's nice to meet you. I am sure everyone will have different opinions on this so you should get a lot of different ideas. I am a big fan of starting slow and making small changes that in the end lead up to a big lifestyle change. When I started I was barely able to even walk. My exercise was literally walking just 5 minutes a day. With food I started out by changing my portion sizes, then tried changing the foods I ate, etc. You are going to learn so many things about your body over this journey, listen to it. What works for one person may not work for the next. When it comes to exercise the best advice I can give is do what you can and when you feel you have done all that you can push yourself 1 extra minute. That's it just 1 minute. If you do this every time it will help your confidence and it will show you that you are able to do more than you think. Best of luck on your journey and if you are looking for supporters feel free to add me :)
  • DiminutiveDame
    DiminutiveDame Posts: 45 Member
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    I can relate to starting a lot but never really getting lasting results. I'm doing better than I have in years, and I think it's because my doctor has intervened and is holding me accountable with monthly weigh ins. Can you talk to your Dr about a plan to lose weight? If all they do is say "eat less and exercise more" imo that isn't really helpful and you could try seeing a new doctor.

    Also, I have extended family living with me and I only make dinner 2x per week. Everyone in my house knows I'm trying to lose weight so they have been including more veggies, leaving them un buttered, etc. Maybe your housemates would be open to making healthier meals when they cook as well.

    Are you comfortable walking? That's my preferred method of exercise and so far I always lose if I take a couple of walks in a week.

    My doctor said walk. I told my doctor that walking is great until my back seizes so he gave me pain killers. I've started walking again but only on the weekends so far, I am just starting to get up my fitness level.

    And the family I live with only start arguments when I try to cook my own meals, buy healthier foods and so on. They aren't supportive, it's not something that can be fixed. So until I move out next year I'm doing what I can.

    I would love to swim, I used to be a very strong swimmer but I'm not comfortable being in public at my size and the closest pool is three hours away; I live in the country.

    I can walk, get free workouts offline and use the bike, some of those I still need to work up too.
  • DiminutiveDame
    DiminutiveDame Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    Hello :) It's nice to meet you. I am sure everyone will have different opinions on this so you should get a lot of different ideas. I am a big fan of starting slow and making small changes that in the end lead up to a big lifestyle change. When I started I was barely able to even walk. My exercise was literally walking just 5 minutes a day. With food I started out by changing my portion sizes, then tried changing the foods I ate, etc. You are going to learn so many things about your body over this journey, listen to it. What works for one person may not work for the next. When it comes to exercise the best advice I can give is do what you can and when you feel you have done all that you can push yourself 1 extra minute. That's it just 1 minute. If you do this every time it will help your confidence and it will show you that you are able to do more than you think. Best of luck on your journey and if you are looking for supporters feel free to add me :)

    Thank you :), I will.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Everyone should visit a doctor when they begin their weight loss journey.

    You might consider making lifestyle changes if you're serious about your health. Not just portion adjustments. Get regular exercise. You can start with a 20-30 minute walk (or less, if that's too hard!) a few times a week and build on that. The point is to start moving - you don't have to kill yourself doing it. Work up to it. Change your diet to healthier foods. Just start by adding some in.

    http://www.fitness.gov/eat-healthy/how-to-eat-healthy/

    Lifestyle changes mean you change your lifestyle. It's a lot of work. Lots of adjustments. But in the end, you're a healthier person...and being thin will just be a side effect of the rest of it.

    But if you aren't serious about it, you'll never do it. You won't even get close. It's not the kind of thing one accomplishes because they know they should. You have to REALLY want to be healthy.

    Adjusting your portions will help you lose weight, too!! It's a little easier to do that, too.

    Talk to your doctor. Weigh your options. Do what you most want to do.

    And remember to be happy with whatever you choose, because that's the most important thing. :)
  • BradfordBear801
    BradfordBear801 Posts: 78
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    Any step forward is progress imo, don't give up just be consistent.

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