Ok- I officially need help!

emilyjjade
emilyjjade Posts: 4
in Motivation and Support
Hello everyone! My name is Emily and I am 19 years old. I have always struggled with my weight since I was younger and I am sick and tired of it! I am not ridiculously overweight but I am unhealthy and out of shape. I have tried and tried again to loose the extra 30 pounds and stay motvated but have failed time and time again- anyone else in this predicament? Anyone have any advice?

Replies

  • Zwible
    Zwible Posts: 57
    maybe I sound a bit harsh, but I really don't get it. I agree that constantly having an appetite is somewhat unpleasant, but it's not exactly painful, is it?

    Tearing up your muscles every day to make them grow, now that hurts and requires commitment, but in order to lose weight you really just need to sit back and wait.

    I'm sure I'll get ripped to pieces now, but wtf...
  • sp940
    sp940 Posts: 12 Member
    I'll agree with Zwible, it requires commitment. Just stay on the right path. Weight loss isn't a fast process. You didn't become overweight overnight and you won't lose it overnight either. Stay positive!
  • emilyjjade
    emilyjjade Posts: 4
    No I respect your opinion and in a way your right. I just finally want to make that life change that I keep giving up on. You make it sound simple and easy! Maybe I should try to look at it that way. :-)
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Start logging and make sure you eat at a reasonable deficit. Find an activity you like and do it. Repeat daily.
  • jalosingit1
    jalosingit1 Posts: 42 Member
    I'm in the same boat, Emily, with 30 pounds to lose. The only difference is I'm much older than you. I always lose some weight but not as much as I'd like and it comes off slowly. Just keep at it and know that you're not the only one going through this.
  • emilyjjade
    emilyjjade Posts: 4
    Thank you so much!
  • cblue315
    cblue315 Posts: 3,836 Member
    Motivation is key for me. I have managed to replace old thoughts with new healthy ones. Like: Don't wish for it, work for it. No one will push me as hard as I push myself.
    These have helped me lose 100 pounds.

    I read this thread every day to help me find thoughts to carry with me through my day.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10018613/what-are-some-of-your-favorite-motivational-quotes#latest
  • wishiwasarunner
    wishiwasarunner Posts: 202 Member
    You are so young to have these issues - but that means that if you can make the needed changes now - it will be so much better for you in the long run. I obviously do not know you - but based on your age and post, I think you need to work on the your thoughts about food, exercise and your health. You deserve to be healthy and feel well. Try not to look at high calorie, unhealthy foods as a reward. You are not punishing yourself for being "fat" by restricting calories and exercising - you are fueling your body to do what it will be healthier for doing. Do not start a "diet" that you cannot maintain or that is not directed towards being healthy. Sure, at your age, you can definitely still enjoy some occasional bad choices - just be committed to having fewer of them and trying to make up for it later.
    - You may need to readjust what are normal and healthy food choices.
  • dragyou
    dragyou Posts: 83 Member
    Grocery shopping!! Make a list to plan your meals.. Hit those macronutrients..
  • wallclimber888
    wallclimber888 Posts: 2
    I lost 45 lbs last year and I feel soooo much better about my body. I have more confidence and instead of crying in the dressing room I actually like buying clothes! I had always been thin, but over the last 7-8 years I really got lazy and gained a lot if weight. It was totally worth it to reap these rewards.

    It's hard to get on track and stay there, but you CAN do it. Log everything you eat and make smart choices. Keep the bad stuff out of reach as much as possible. After a week or two of doing this it will start to become a habit and this is the key. Find a way to get some exercise if possible, even walking will be beneficial. Just get moving. And it's ok to cheat now and then...just subtract it from you calorie allotment. If you slip up, just get back on the wagon, all isn't lost; it happens to the best of us.

    Good luck!

    Tina
  • travslst
    travslst Posts: 5 Member
    you go girl! u can do this! im 35 and i have struggled all my life. ive had 8 kids, a bad meth problem at one time where i lost a ton of weight and since sobriety 9 years ago i went from 140 to 229. Pop and sweets and waaaay to many carbs has been my problem. I started this life change as of Jan 1st of this yearat 229# and so far im down to 217#. Im 5'1, so this is a MUST do for me. If exercising is hard for you, start out with walking, im currently alternating walking and shaun t's t25 focus and i follow the moderator. COunting my calories has REALLY helped for me. When u can see what u are taking in, it really helps put things into perspective! You can do this, you have our support!!
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 563 Member
    Just start logging your foods and exercise on here every day and get a group of supportive friends to help you feel a part of things. Look for the healthiest food you can put in your body and that's it!
  • RayRay2366
    RayRay2366 Posts: 4 Member
    At your age, maybe you should focus on getting in shape instead of losing weight. Start walking, cycling, swimming, running...whatever one you will enjoy the most. You will feel great being in shape and I bet the weight will come off as well. If it doesn't, you still feel great for getting in shape and then you can try diet.
  • EmmaFitzwilliam
    EmmaFitzwilliam Posts: 482 Member
    Replying because I wish I had known at 19 what I finally learned at 47.

    At 19, you can probably get away with weighing yourself every week once you get to maintenance, but do continue to weigh in after you lose the 30 pounds. That way, they won't creep up on you

    Yo yo dieting is really hard on your body, and harder as you get older.

    Lose weight sustainably. The easiest way to maintain is to eat in a way you can accept for the rest of your life.

    Even while you lose weight, don't give up treat foods. Just keep the portions small, the opportunities infrequent, and - most important - never have a high calorie food when you're doing something which means you don't fully enjoy it.

    Learn to taste the food you eat. Not just the treats. Be prepared to find out how amazing some foods that are really good for you actually taste. Be prepared to find out how lousy some food that's not good for you actually tastes.

    Be honest with yourself about how much and what you eat. I used to have (rolled oats) oatmeal, cooked in milk, with 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, and half and half. That's a minimum of 500 calories. Steel cut oats cooked in water with fresh blueberries and half and half taste better, and have better nutrition. They're healthier carbs, more satisfying, and while the milk and walnuts did add 7 grams of protein, it came at a cost of 17 grams of fat.

    Knowledge is power. A donut is about 190 calories. Sometimes, I'm willing to spend 200 calories that way. Other times, I'm not. Once you know what price you pay for what you eat, you can decide whether it's worth it. And whether it's worth it to do some active movement you enjoy to balance those calories.
  • SuzyH
    SuzyH Posts: 196 Member
    Such good advice offered! I think you can "overthink" the situation and become obsessed with it too. Eating real food, not processed / packaged food, and moving - whatever kind of movement you like, biking, dancing, walking, etc. is the key. You don't have to be a gym rat, but you can be! Do you see what I mean!? And, above all, do what you feel is right for you, don't do something to impress someone else or gain their approval, and certainly don't do it if it "doesn't feel right". The best thing, activity wise, is to find something you LOVE. If you are eating good foods and don't have a problem with portions or self control, you are good! Obviously you have found MFP which will help you greatly to track your choices. Keep in touch and let us know how you're doing!
  • emilyjjade
    emilyjjade Posts: 4
    Thank you all so much for your support! I have even convinced my mother to join for some extra encouragement! Hopefully between posts like these, accountability from my family, and my own personal willpower I will finally do this! :-)
  • shadowlydarkness
    shadowlydarkness Posts: 243 Member
    Having your family's support is very important! I life together with my partner and while he supports me and motivates me, he refuses to switch to a healthy lifestyle that I need. I do not want to put him on a diet just because I want to lose weight, but we cannot afford to cook 2 separate meals every day, 1 healthy for me and then whatever he wants. So we have learned to compromise, not the best option but it works.

    Having your family backing you up really does make a huge difference! Get involved in the meal planning, cooking and shopping. I hate shopping alone because I can put whatever I want in the trolley, so have someone with you that will tell you 'no' when you want to buy that treat. Also have a healthy and light snack before you go shopping really helps, shopping hungry makes you buy more crap then you need!
  • annie2113
    annie2113 Posts: 6 Member
    Hi Emily my names Annie ☺️ you and I are on the same boat! I'm 19 trying to loose those 30 pounds! I use to do sports in high school and that helped me maintain my weight but now that I'm in college I find it hard! I recently joined a gym last week and I'm challenging myself to get to that goal weight. I CHALLENGE YOU TOO! Don't lose faith girl
  • cakelight
    cakelight Posts: 9 Member
    I keep starting and stopping too and I have about the same weight to lose. I think I finally have to admit it's an attitude problem (me?! negative?!?!?!) and start to think more positively. One meal, one workout, one day at a time.

    A single mistake (or ten in a row) doesn't mean you have to scrap the entire effort, beat yourself up, fall completely off track, and start again from square one. It means you have to stop, think about what caused you to miss a workout or make an unhealthy choice, and try again. I think this can help people look at health as a series of choices, a process we take part in, not a program or diet or month long challenge. A real, sustainable life change requires patience.
    Do the best you can do and be honest.

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