Need to lose 100lbs. Need tips.

I just turned 30yrs old, have 5 children, am recovering from a major back injury in which I broke my back in Feb 2014. I was stuck in bed for quite some time and inactive then the pain turned in to depression and eating was such a comfort. I've gained a huge amount of weight in the last 11 months and am currently fluctuating between 249/256. I'm at a point now where I'm just disgusted with my body and my emotional well being is suffering and it's affecting my relationship and self esteem so negatively. I've gotta make a huge change and start my weight loss journey. Is there anything my fellow MFP family can recommend? What should my caloric I take per day be? I still can't do a lot of high impact stuff but I'll do whatever I can at home.
«1

Replies

  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    There are two words you need to know and understand: Calorie Deficit.

    All else is a matter of opinion and taste, but Calorie Deficit is both necessary and sufficient. You need it. And you need nothing else ... except maybe Time for the Calorie Deficit to do its job.

    Use the tools you can find here on this site (myfitnesspal) and elsewhere on the Internet to determine the calories you need to take in, and to track what you are actually consuming. It's all here. Explore the site.

    You don't need low impact - you don't need any impact. It can be done via diet alone if exercise is a problem.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    And one more word. Consistency
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    There are two words you need to know and understand: Calorie Deficit.

    All else is a matter of opinion and taste, but Calorie Deficit is both necessary and sufficient. You need it. And you need nothing else ... except maybe Time for the Calorie Deficit to do its job.

    Use the tools you can find here on this site (myfitnesspal) and elsewhere on the Internet to determine the calories you need to take in, and to track what you are actually consuming. It's all here. Explore the site.

    You don't need low impact - you don't need any impact. It can be done via diet alone if exercise is a problem.

    ^
    This.
    The most important thing for me is to keep the daily diary religiously -- good days, not so good, or in-between.
    I often log my foods the night before so I know what to expect the next day.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

    Just get started. That's all you have to do. Figure out how many calories you need to lose, based on little activity due to your back injury, and eat that. That's it! You've begun. :) And then take it easy and allow your weight loss to come. If it doesn't come, that's when you start playing around with calories and macros, but no need to address that unless you get to that point; you may not (except for lowering your calories as you lose substantial amounts of weight and need less).

    How absolutely terrible that you broke your back; what happened?
  • I'm kind of in the same boat as yourself. 4 children ages 2-8. After I quit my job to be a stay at home mom I blew up, I mean I was bigto begin with but the past year I have gained at least 40 or 50 lbs by just being lazy. I'm on my 3rd day of this low calorie diet. Let's see if it works.
  • ohhhhjenn
    ohhhhjenn Posts: 12 Member
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

    Just get started. That's all you have to do. Figure out how many calories you need to lose, based on little activity due to your back injury, and eat that. That's it! You've begun. :) And then take it easy and allow your weight loss to come. If it doesn't come, that's when you start playing around with calories and macros, but no need to address that unless you get to that point; you may not (except for lowering your calories as you lose substantial amounts of weight and need less).

    How absolutely terrible that you broke your back; what happened?

    I fell at work on a wet floor and broke my tail bone and cracked my sacrum and fractured my wrist then 2 weeks later I got pinned between my car and another when I was picking up medication. A lady backed right in to me pinning me at the knees/hips.
  • ohhhhjenn
    ohhhhjenn Posts: 12 Member
    There are two words you need to know and understand: Calorie Deficit.

    All else is a matter of opinion and taste, but Calorie Deficit is both necessary and sufficient. You need it. And you need nothing else ... except maybe Time for the Calorie Deficit to do its job.

    Use the tools you can find here on this site (myfitnesspal) and elsewhere on the Internet to determine the calories you need to take in, and to track what you are actually consuming. It's all here. Explore the site.

    You don't need low impact - you don't need any impact. It can be done via diet alone if exercise is a problem.

    Based on the info I imputed on this app, I should be taking in 1600 cals a day. I honestly don't know if that's too much. Other sites and calculators I've used instruct me to less than 1k and that doesn't seem healthy to me either so I'm kind of lost.
  • moto450
    moto450 Posts: 334 Member
    Glad your back healed! Calorie deficit. Count everything. Don't try to do it too quickly. It will take time. Eat healthy.
  • deehovey
    deehovey Posts: 14 Member
    I'm 5'5", 42 years old and have a desk job. I entered in I want to lose 2 pounds a week and sedentary. I'm currently 272 pounds and it gives me 1390 calories a day. I don't know what your settings are but by following what it says and eating about half my exercise calories back I'm losing between 2 and 2 1/2 pounds a week so I'm pretty impressed that it's accurate. I've lost 32 pounds in 87 days.
    Having a support system really helps so be sure and add plenty of friends.
  • KimbersNewLife
    KimbersNewLife Posts: 646 Member
    edited January 2015
    I would trust MFP I had the best results when I trusted the numbers it gave me, ignored everyone else's well intended but devastating advice (in my case I got on a message board with a bunch of people who were all about all natural eating, great for them but I was not at that point in my journey and I got all bummed and derailed my progress :-) )
    Now I am doing what it says eating 1649 cals a day and losing I do work out some but lately I have been really busy so it's just been eating right, some days I might go anywhere from 49-100 cals over but I am losing and excited again.
    Do not try to work out until you are ready I wanted to cry for you when I read what happened to you that is total horrendous and your body will need lots of TLC probably from now on. I was in a car accident in 2008 and my back it completely messed up and I didn't break anything so I can only imagine and to be hit like that Oh my gosh! Anyway that's my two cents from my journey. Feel free to friend me if you like oh and remember water is your friend drink tons of water. Water = energy and a full belly! ;-)
  • lorasalim
    lorasalim Posts: 39 Member
    friend me, so later you can messege with any questions, will help you as much as I can :) I need to loose 120lb,30 done, 90 to go...yes,1600 kcal its a good start, try for couple weeks, see how its works, worked for me first month, but later I reduced to 1550 and later 1500....
  • scare6jack37
    scare6jack37 Posts: 9
    edited January 2015
    For caloric goals per day see article on changing shape

    Mifflin-St Jeor Equation

    This equation is one of the most accurate methods to use when it comes to figuring out you’re your particular caloric needs should be for the day.

    For men: RMR = 9.99 x wt (kg) + 6.25 x ht (cm) – 4.92 x age (yrs) + 5
    For women: RMR = 9.99 x wt (kg) + 6.25 x ht (cm) -4.92 x age (yrs) – 161

    Step 1: First convert pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2.
    Step 2: Next, convert the inches to centimeters by multiplying by 2.545. For the most part, all moderately active people are generally advised to consume about 1.5 to 1.7 times the calculated resting metabolic rate (RMR).
    http://www.changingshape.com/calculators/daily-calorie-intake/


    Make it a goal to be BORING!
    http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/The-Habbits-of-Highly-Boring-Pe

    Make your diet a habit meaning eat pretty much the same everyday with one 'cheat' day a week. Dont cut anything out but eat in moderation. Once you get the calories adjusted to your goals then focus on the micronutrient dense foods.

    I'm a sloth. I changed my diet from daily restaurants (exciting) to sandwiches and International Harvest snacks (boring but healthier). The o-food tastes fresh and fantastic and I'm much more satisfied after o-food snacking than chips and dip!
    Check out the 5lb+ deals.
    http://internationalharvest.com/

    To be normal in the USA is to be fat. Join the MFP abnormal and boring healthy movement!
    http://drhyman.com/blog/2011/02/04/food-addiction-could-it-explain-why-70-percent-of-america-is-fat/#close

    Baby steps to healthy living!
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    The most important thing is to not give up.
    If you stop trying, things are not going to change for the better.
    If you have a day where you completely blow your calorie goal, accept it & do better tomorrow.

    Here's a newbie help blog post I did compiling a bunch of useful info, including sexypants, goal setting (calories, weight, macros), and motivation / encouragement.

    A healthy goal weight, and linked to that a healthy calorie intake, depends largely on your height and to some degree your frame size. For now, pick a number in the middle to top of the green range on a BMI chart. Once you get there, you can see how you feel. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you'll want to drop another 10 lb, or maybe you'll increase your weightlifting to shape up at the higher weight.

    "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

    Last week I was sick (starting Monday), this week I'm still fighting a deep cough, so I haven't exercised in more than a week. (Other than working 2 days, and shoveling snow 40 min.) I'm still losing weight because I'm eating under my calorie goal.

    51637601.png
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    ohhhhjenn wrote: »
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

    Just get started. That's all you have to do. Figure out how many calories you need to lose, based on little activity due to your back injury, and eat that. That's it! You've begun. :) And then take it easy and allow your weight loss to come. If it doesn't come, that's when you start playing around with calories and macros, but no need to address that unless you get to that point; you may not (except for lowering your calories as you lose substantial amounts of weight and need less).

    How absolutely terrible that you broke your back; what happened?

    I fell at work on a wet floor and broke my tail bone and cracked my sacrum and fractured my wrist then 2 weeks later I got pinned between my car and another when I was picking up medication. A lady backed right in to me pinning me at the knees/hips.

    Oh my gosh. I am so sorry this happened to you.
  • The easiest fix to eating less calories is buying smaller plates, bowls and skinnier drinking glasses. Psychology is a powerful tool to mass loss and hacking our brains into believing the portion sizes are bigger with smaller plates actually works. Throw in some color contrast and before you know it the mass melts away without much effort.
    Science to the rescue =)
    see large plate study
    http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/large-plates.html

    see colored plate study
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/03/21/want-to-eat-less-change-the-color-of-your-plate/

    Baby steps to healthy living!
  • ohhhhjenn
    ohhhhjenn Posts: 12 Member
    deehovey wrote: »
    I'm 5'5", 42 years old and have a desk job. I entered in I want to lose 2 pounds a week and sedentary. I'm currently 272 pounds and it gives me 1390 calories a day. I don't know what your settings are but by following what it says and eating about half my exercise calories back I'm losing between 2 and 2 1/2 pounds a week so I'm pretty impressed that it's accurate. I've lost 32 pounds in 87 days.
    Having a support system really helps so be sure and add plenty of friends.


    That's amazing! So glad you're seeing results. I'm hoping for the same :)
  • ohhhhjenn
    ohhhhjenn Posts: 12 Member
    I really appreciate all the advice and support. I'm 5'5 if that makes a difference. I used to be extremely big about 260lbs and I ended up very sick due to some heart problems and the weight melted off at that time because of my health deteriorating but then I gained back a little due to just getting comfortable where I was and after this accident, I blew up. I'll post some pics
  • ohhhhjenn
    ohhhhjenn Posts: 12 Member
    inwwqcx0rg7m.jpg

    On the left was my heaviest appx 260 and the right is at about 160/170
  • ohhhhjenn
    ohhhhjenn Posts: 12 Member
    vasuj521241f.jpg

    This is more current as of mid November.
  • mcastana_99
    mcastana_99 Posts: 6 Member
    Hi, not sure how this works, I'm terrible with technology. I was very happy to read your entry because I see that not alone in my struggles. I too have back problems and asthma and tibia very hard for me to loose weight. In addition to working, I go to school and raise 2 boys on my own, so the stress kind of adds to my weight problem. Have you got any advise from the community yet as to what is our best choice since we can't really exercise like others might? I'm interested to know what choices I have.