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bouskie
bouskie Posts: 3
edited November 8 in Getting Started
Hi there! My name is Dana and I'm a twenty-one-year old college student looking to lose a significant amount of weight (around one hundred pounds) in a healthy way. Currently I weigh in at 230 pounds, with standing at five feet and four inches it's definitely noticeable that I'm significantly larger than other women my age. My first goal is to reach the mark of weighing in at under 200 pounds, from there I will set a more solid goal weight, I don't want to psych myself out by making it seem unobtainable from the start.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking to do this for my appearance, but one of the many reasons is exactly that; I want to look good and I want to feel good, I do not want to end up with all of the health issues many of my family members have due to being overweight.

I have tried time and time again to lose weight but to no avail, so I'm here trying to simplest approach, logging calories and workouts and seeking a solid support system. I have come up with an entire novel of reasoning for why I can postpone putting effort weight loss, from "I'll start Monday" to "Well I'll have ugly stretch marks either way". Within the last year my older sister lost a large amount of weight through unhealthy means and all I hear about is how tiny she is and how great she looks in clothes, quite honestly I'm tired of it. I want to do this the right way and gain the recognition for it.

My biggest downfall is I am a binge eater, I will eat when I'm stressed, eat when I'm bored, eat when I'm not hungry, and any time in between - and not healthy foods either. This is no longer what I want out of life, I want to wake up happy with the way I look and not constantly thinking of my weight. It has gotten to the point of where a majority of my time is spent thinking about being "fat", ruining any positive thoughts I may have.

Sorry for the ramble, but here I am, looking for friends, tips, and everything in between. :)

Replies

  • stopdropandlose
    stopdropandlose Posts: 162 Member
    Hi :)

    We sounds very similar. I'm 5'3 and currently weight 237.2.

    I've tried losing weight many times and I know how hard it can be. I also binge.

    I've noticed that since counting calories, I'm really not as hungry as I used to think I was. Also, if I know I'm going to want a treat, I adjust my daily intake accordingly. The other night, I knew I wanted to have a Krispy Kreme donut so I made sure to eat well for the rest of the day.

    Feel free to add me, making friends and having support has really helped me these last 3 weeks.
  • Jojomotivated
    Jojomotivated Posts: 141 Member
    I'm 5'3 and my highest weight was 200. The trick for me was to set really low goals for myself xD Like, maybe 3 pounds a month. Small steps. You're not rambling at all, and we all (okay, well mostly all) have our binge moments. You're on the right path. Nice to meet you, Dana! :D
  • DeWoSa
    DeWoSa Posts: 496 Member
    edited November 2014
    stopdropandlose wrote: »

    I've noticed that since counting calories, I'm really not as hungry as I used to think I was.

    This was a significant discovery for me also. What I thought was hunger, wasn't. I've been on a food plan for nearly 10 years and STILL can't always tell if I'm hungry or thirsty or just bored. I have to think about it for a couple of minutes to figure it out.

    I was also a binger -- I cut out my trigger foods and now I don't binge. Some people find moderation works for them, but any time I've tried to be moderate, I've just kicked off another binge, so that's why I cut out my trigger foods completely.

    Here are a couple of things I've learned that have helped me:

    1. Don't expect weight loss immediately. During the first couple of weeks, things are still getting sorted out. Weight goes down then goes up, for lots of reasons. Give yourself a good six weeks to allow for trends to become visible.

    2. Weigh and measure your food. I thought I was eating a cup of Cheerios; I wasn't. I started using a measuring cup, but even then I was still overeating by about 1/4 cup. Now I weigh and measure all my food. It was difficult at first while I was figuring out how to do that, but once I got a system, now it's pretty easy. I use both the MFP database and the USDA food calculator to calculate my caloric intake.

    3. Don't let the haters get you down. Some people on MFP have it all figured out, and their attitude towards those of us who struggle with food is "you think you are a special snowflake but in reality you are stupid." Ignore them and they will eventually go away.

    Best of luck to you. At my highest weight and my worst binges, I just wanted it all to end. Once I got honest about what I was eating, and stopped eating the foods that I had the most trouble with, I lost 75 pounds and have kept off most of those pounds for nearly 10 years.

  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
    stopdropandlose wrote: »
    I've noticed that since counting calories, I'm really not as hungry as I used to think I was.

    So much this.

    I used to drink a whole bunch of my calories with soda/bottled juice/beer/whatever else. I cut all of that out, and only drink water now unless I put some milk in a protein shake. After starting to count calories, and realizing exactly how many calories I was ingesting by drinking them, I was astonished at how much more I could eat.

    I'm now eating breakfast, eating mid-morning, eating lunch, eating mid-afternoon, eating dinner, and then probably some small snack later at night. I actually find it difficult to pack it in, so I'm generally pretty far below my calorie goal, but I'm never hungry.

    My suggestion would definitely be to stop drinking your calories. It frees up so much more space for your meal plan.
  • bouskie
    bouskie Posts: 3
    It's wonderful to meet you all! Sorry for the delayed response, Saturday's tend to be super busy for me. Thank you so much for all of the advice, it's nice to be able to here from people I can relate to. I'm still trying to figure out how MFP works and whatnot, so I hope you're all able to see this response!
  • HerMindsEye77
    HerMindsEye77 Posts: 45
    Hi Dana!

    It's so awesome to meet you. I believe you're at the right place & I'd be happy to help you along your journey. I also have a lot of weight to kill & I'm starting a weight loss challenge, too, if you're interested. We will be successful. Let's do this!

    *smiles*
    Jean

    tomboy-princess.com/jointhechallenge
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