I don't know where to begin!!!

Hey,
Firstly, I suggest adding people on here as friends, it means that losing weight can be that little bit more motivating.
Secondly, I suggest investing in a fitbit, they are $99US and are completely worth it. They completely track your exercise, calories burnt, sleep patterns etc. to give you goals and show you how you are going approaching them. What's even better is that you can sync it with MFP so that your calorie intake is monitored too, making you able to set realistic and achievable goals.
I am only starting on this today, but I have been on it for about a year or so. I personally have depression too and I'm sick of being in such a rut lately and just feeling all around crap, so I think it's time for me to fix up my life. If you want to be friends on this, feel free to add me

I started by limiting the amount of things I ate and the alcohol I consumed. I portioned out my food, stopped drinking multiple drinks on certain days and incorporated a little bit more movement into my daily routine. I don't have a gym membership nor will I ever have one but I do get a lot of miles done in a day when I work and also recently started to run around my neighborhood. Having friends who support you and the changes you want to make in your life will be one of the best things to have. Feel free to add me for support!

Hi

The best place to begin is at the beginning.

All you have to do is lose 1 pound 77 times. Not 77 pounds, all at once.

That kick to get it done comes from inside....

The fact you are reaching out and being honest about your struggle is a sign of growth and progress, for which you should be commended. Take comfort in that.

The difference between MFP and everything else? If you adopt the mindset that its a lifestyle change & not a diet, the rest will fall into place.

The past is done. The future will be here soon enough. Try and focus on today & today only. Its all we have to work with.

4.5 months ago, I weighed 312 pounds. I woulda been dead in 5 years if I hadn't made this commitment. All signs were pointing that way.

Just a few things the MFP tribe and common sense has taught me:

1) This is a thing you DO, not a definition of who you ARE. Just like laundry. Take the emotion out of it wherever possible. I cannot stress this enough.

2) My approach? This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. So there is no finite number of days that I am trying to get to. I will be logging in and logging food for the rest of my life, because:

a) This program works
b) I don't want to die young and I was headed that direction

3) Try to remember - We are the results of the choices we make every day, whether those choices are good or bad. Make as many good choices as you can, and the ship will stay steady. At the end of the day, we are the man in the mirror. We are accountable to ourselves and no one else. We can help you with getting there, but the doing is up to you. Leave rationalizing at the door, and continue to be honest with yourself. Its the only path to long term success

Cal tracking is considered a good choice (whether boring or not) because it tells you where you really are (just like your check register tells you your balance) - remember to be honest with yourself all the time. Ultimately, you will achieve that which you are seeking much sooner.

Knowing that plus the support I get from my MFP buds make enough difference that Ive lost 30 in 132 days without doing anything stupid. You just find what works and then hammer the crap out of it, staying in the present while doing so.

If you will stay committed to this, your MFP tribe will commit to helping. Why? Because that's what we do. And we have ALL been there.

FR on the way.

Fsunami

My heart goes out to you! Maybe the county or city you live in has free counseling they can provide you to support you emotionally before trying to tackle the weight issue. If not, maybe you'll find some good advise here on the boards.

Congratulations for getting off adderall. It's dangerous if you don't have ADD and especially dangerous if you think you might have manic depression/bipolar disorder. You are so smart to away from prescription meds until you see a good doctor.

I can't advise you, but I can tell you my story and tell you what worked for me. I've been a compulsive over-eater since I was a child. I'm now 54, and though I've learned a lot, I still slip up and have a bad day/week/year. I've discovered that if I stay away from sugar, my eating compulsions cease. If my diet is higher in protein and lower in carbs, I feel motivated, focused and in charge of myself. If I eat empty carbs, or even too many healthy carbs, I feel depressed, needlessly restless, and I feel like hiding from everyone. I just want to be alone and try to medicate myself with food.

Many people claim that when you diet, you should allow yourself an occasional treat, but for me, the occasional treat just leads to binging.

I hope you're able to find the answers you need. Good luck to you.

You do not need a gym membership .. though I have one and love it.

But ... the best thing (which is also free) ... walking. It is super for losing weight and getting fit and many people think that they have to run/ work out at a gym etc to make a difference. But that is not true at all.

Oh .. and buy a food scale. Best investment for your journey. Also .. very very cheap but not quite free typically.

You also do not need a Fitbit .. waste of money. I imagine you have a smartphone by your age. Just get a free pedometer app .. there are a ton of them and does much the same as that $100 Fitbit.

Dude, thanks. How the hell did I forget about the food scale. Invested in one two weeks into this, cost about 430 and changed the way I see food. Because the porttion control aspect is critical & I was surprised at how bad my eyeballing was....thanks again for pointing that out...

Fsunami

Sorry, meant $30, not 430.....:)

I started by limiting the amount of things I ate and the alcohol I consumed. I portioned out my food, stopped drinking multiple drinks on certain days and incorporated a little bit more movement into my daily routine. I don't have a gym membership nor will I ever have one but I do get a lot of miles done in a day when I work and also recently started to run around my neighborhood. Having friends who support you and the changes you want to make in your life will be one of the best things to have. Feel free to add me for support!

Can't say it any better myself, feel free to add me too. There are 14 full weeks left in 2014, and there are 14lbs in a st... seems apt

It is all quite easy to get started. Just punch your stats into MFP and eat what it tells you to eat. Record and weigh everything you put in your mouth add your exercise calories and you are away. Just eat less than you burn and the weight will come off.

If you want things to be a bit more accurate go to the scooby site for working out your BMR and TDEE. That way you know what amount of calories you should be eating. TDEE is you maintenance level so eat under that and you will lose weight. Nothing complicated about it at all. You do not need tablets or special foods. Eat whatever you like but within your calories allowed.

Also send out friend requests to whoever you think can help you most or who you think has most in common with you. That way you can support someone and they can support you.

Most importantly if you haven't got started yet, start now. The first step is the most important.

Good luck

edited to say you do not need a gym. Look on youtube for thousands of free exercises you can do at home. Fitness blender have some great ones. Walking exercises at home include Leslie Sansone or Jessica Smith. Or you could buy some weights and do any amount of exercises that youtube has to offer. All of these will get you started.

As others have said you don't need to spend money on a gym. Walking, jogging, etc are all free and great ways to exercise. I would also add that some strength training would be good, you don't need to go out and buy weights either (you can use items you find around the house, such as cans of soup, jugs of laundry detergent etc). The one thing I would recommend that you should buy when you are able is a food scale, it helps you get a very accurate portion. If you can afford one now, work on saving for one and measure out your portions using measuring cups (this can vary drastically depending on if you pack the cups or not) but it is better than nothing. Feel free to add me as a friend if you wish

God gave you 2 feet start moving them slowly and then increase the speed and then keep increasing the distance...."Run Forest Run"........get two empty gallon containers and then google....Kettle Bell workouts.............and lastly stop with the excuses......and stop lying to yourself.....

A gym is great but you can do this without one. Make yourself exercise by walking, running, or whatever you can do to raise your heart rate. Log everything you eat and don't exceed your calories. You can do it!!

I just want to know if anyone has any suggestions for a good place to start!!!

Eat less, move more.

That's really all there is too it. Don't starve and don't exercise yourself to the point of injury. Walk more. Run if/when you can. Get an exercise DVD. Do bodyweight exercises. Lift, climb or push things. Dance.

Don't overeat or undereat and move more. Find some type of exercise that you enjoy and do it regularly.

start off small and let it snowball! I started walking 3x a week for 30min and felt so much better that i started increasing it at a comfortable pace. And I logged EVERYTHING, even if I went over my calories, better to just acknowledge and move on def read the links someone else posted, great info in them. And there are tons of sites with free workouts, one of my faves is fitnessblender.com.
Good luck, you can do it!

Not much left to add after all these great responses.

This place is highly motivating! Everyone here is on your side...

Add me for a friend if you wish.

You don't need a gym. Do walks in the park but you should be walking more than 3.3mph. The first time I dropped weight, my favorite food was KFC ( 2 piece grilled chicken and mashed potatoes no gravy). I installed an app on my cell phone that used gps to tell how fast I was going and how far I was going. I downloaded some tunes and talk shows on my phone, but the headphones on, and off I went. You don't need to buy expensive stuff. Just monitor what you eat and figure it out from there. The most expensive thing you need is a dedication to monitoring what you eat and executing your plan.