I need help! DESPERATELY!
Options
TruthToFreedom
Posts: 6 Member
Hello MyFitnessPal community.
Just to start, for the sake of my shamefulness, I would like to keep my identity anonymous.
I have started this journey because of the fact that I want to lose some serious weight due to some problems I have faced over the years. More shall be explained in a bit. But first, here are my details.
Current Location: Near London, United Kingdom
Height: 6'0" or 183.5 cm
Weight: 136.6 kg or 301.1 lbs
Diet: Lacto-vegetarian (or basically a vegetarian who doesn't eat eggs.)
Body Build Type: I would say medium, but everyone says I look scary big so maybe stocky?
Occupation: Full-time University Student with the occasional part-time job.
Weekly Food Budget: £50 or $76 (If you need to convert to another currency, please use Google)
I come from an Indian family, and I have always been a big kid, ever since I was about 6 years old (I don't know how, I think my mother loved me too much). I like to play sports and stuff, and I like to stay active. I have tried this diet and gym regiment before, failing miserably each time. I am always hungry, unless I devour a whole pizza by myself (large one). I cannot afford to go to a dietitian (being a student and all), and the NHS aren't the most helpful.
Now here comes the hurtful truth. I want to... I NEED to lose weight because of these problems. I have been picked on for my weight for as long as I can remember. I have had injuries (broken hip) which wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the weight. I seem to repel women because of this.... I can go on and on about these things, but I think you guys get the general idea.
Now this is where you guys come in. I need help creating a diet and workout plan (using the budget above, remember I'm a student
) so I can get my life back into shape and not be so miserable.
My goal (may be a bit too ambitious) is to reach the double figures (below 100 kg) before the 10th of July, 2015.
If you could please help, it would be greatly appreciated and please feel free to ask for more details, if necessary.
Thanks.
P.
Just to start, for the sake of my shamefulness, I would like to keep my identity anonymous.
I have started this journey because of the fact that I want to lose some serious weight due to some problems I have faced over the years. More shall be explained in a bit. But first, here are my details.
Current Location: Near London, United Kingdom
Height: 6'0" or 183.5 cm
Weight: 136.6 kg or 301.1 lbs
Diet: Lacto-vegetarian (or basically a vegetarian who doesn't eat eggs.)
Body Build Type: I would say medium, but everyone says I look scary big so maybe stocky?
Occupation: Full-time University Student with the occasional part-time job.
Weekly Food Budget: £50 or $76 (If you need to convert to another currency, please use Google)
I come from an Indian family, and I have always been a big kid, ever since I was about 6 years old (I don't know how, I think my mother loved me too much). I like to play sports and stuff, and I like to stay active. I have tried this diet and gym regiment before, failing miserably each time. I am always hungry, unless I devour a whole pizza by myself (large one). I cannot afford to go to a dietitian (being a student and all), and the NHS aren't the most helpful.
Now here comes the hurtful truth. I want to... I NEED to lose weight because of these problems. I have been picked on for my weight for as long as I can remember. I have had injuries (broken hip) which wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the weight. I seem to repel women because of this.... I can go on and on about these things, but I think you guys get the general idea.
Now this is where you guys come in. I need help creating a diet and workout plan (using the budget above, remember I'm a student
) so I can get my life back into shape and not be so miserable.My goal (may be a bit too ambitious) is to reach the double figures (below 100 kg) before the 10th of July, 2015.
If you could please help, it would be greatly appreciated and please feel free to ask for more details, if necessary.
Thanks.
P.
0
Replies
-
Open your diary?0
-
What food do you like to eat?
Do you have cooking facilities where you live?
What calorie figures has MFP given you.
You can do this, it's just about getting in the groove and not being afraid to ask0 -
Okay, do you have a local greengrocer that you can shop in? Ours is way cheaper than the supermarkets. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall does some great veggie recipes in his 'River Cottage Veg' book (I got it on Amazon UK for £5 couple of weeks ago. Pulses, lentils etc are really filling and low calorie; his butternut squash and chickpea stew thing is worth a try for a start.0
-
OP, Will you be joining a gym? Will you be working out at home? Do you have time to make your own meals? Have you calculated what your BMR, TDEE & Deficit will be? Etc.0
-
Agree with all the posts above. I think the most important thing is to learn your portions and make sure you make smart choices. For example, if you have 1200 calories to eat per day, eat the most food you can. 1 banana is 70 calories versus, 2 full lettuce for 30 calories and a cheese stick for 50 calories. If you crave something eat it, but eat your allowed portion. This is the key that let me stick to this diet plan versus others.
Note: Always know tomorrow is a new day with a new calorie count reset, so do not push your limits, if you crave something at night, you can eat your portion of it the next morning for breakfast. I hope this helps. Good luck1 -
I'm going to address the bit of your post that stuck out to me: the bit where you say you've done this before and failed miserably. Because I've been there, so many times, and this time, I think I've figured out the art of not failing miserably.
It'd be really hard for someone to create a diet plan just for you, because everyone is different. For instance, I stop myself being hungry by eating lots of protein, 25% fat, and piling my plate high with non-starchy vegetables, and not bothering much with bread, pasta, potatoes and so on. But someone else may need loads of carbs, or loads of fat to stop them being hungry. Because that's largely what this is about - creating a calorie deficit while managing not to be hungry all the time, right?
So you need to work out what sort of food is going to work for you. Also in practical terms - can you cook? Or are you going to be living off college food, fast food and microwave meals?
Also, figure out what sort of other things are important. Do you need to save calories for beer? Cake? The occasional pizza? It's important to make your deficit have room for the things you love, that will make this stop feeling like a crash diet and more like something you can keep up for ages. Most diets fail because they aren't sustainable. But it's not that hard - especially when you have a lot of weight to lose - to create one that, while slower than the diets with a name, will be easy(ish) to stick to.
And of course, I bet nobody on here sticks to their diet ALL the time. You should have seen the Thanksgiving and Christmas posts about all the ways people didn't stick to theirs for a day or two. Total food porn. :-) But what makes the difference is that if you fall off the wagon, or leave the wagon deliberately, you get back on it at the next meal, or the next day. And if you fell off, really look at how, and why, and work out how you can deal with whatever situation caused it better next time.
You like sports, and that's going to help a lot. Losing weight really is about the food. But exercise gives you what I call 'play calories' - extra room in your calorie budget to spend on foods that will keep you happy and on the wagon.
MFP's boards, despite the snarking, are a great place to learn about how to do it right this time. If you really want it more than anything else, read around the boards, experiment with what works for you, learn from your failures, ask for advice when you're stuck... you'll do it this time. :-)0 -
Eat the things you love and can afford in moderation. Look for deals to stock in bulk on items. Log everything accurately and honestly using a food scale.
I will say, though, that 75-80 pounds in five months is very ambitious. You'd be looking at averaging a 1.5kg per week deficit. Healthy weight loss is .25-1kg per week. It might work since you're larger, but even if you only lose half or two-thirds of it, you'll be on the right track.0 -
@ truth, read this link and a few others in the getting started section of the community forum and then come back with specific questions.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants#latest
You're in good company here so work your way through some of the reading and then you need to just start!
Good luck...........you can do this and that happiness you're looking for is waiting for you. It's really just a matter of putting the hard work in and being consistent.0 -
I'm going to address the bit of your post that stuck out to me: the bit where you say you've done this before and failed miserably. Because I've been there, so many times, and this time, I think I've figured out the art of not failing miserably.
It'd be really hard for someone to create a diet plan just for you, because everyone is different. For instance, I stop myself being hungry by eating lots of protein, 25% fat, and piling my plate high with non-starchy vegetables, and not bothering much with bread, pasta, potatoes and so on. But someone else may need loads of carbs, or loads of fat to stop them being hungry. Because that's largely what this is about - creating a calorie deficit while managing not to be hungry all the time, right?
So you need to work out what sort of food is going to work for you. Also in practical terms - can you cook? Or are you going to be living off college food, fast food and microwave meals?
Also, figure out what sort of other things are important. Do you need to save calories for beer? Cake? The occasional pizza? It's important to make your deficit have room for the things you love, that will make this stop feeling like a crash diet and more like something you can keep up for ages. Most diets fail because they aren't sustainable. But it's not that hard - especially when you have a lot of weight to lose - to create one that, while slower than the diets with a name, will be easy(ish) to stick to.
And of course, I bet nobody on here sticks to their diet ALL the time. You should have seen the Thanksgiving and Christmas posts about all the ways people didn't stick to theirs for a day or two. Total food porn. :-) But what makes the difference is that if you fall off the wagon, or leave the wagon deliberately, you get back on it at the next meal, or the next day. And if you fell off, really look at how, and why, and work out how you can deal with whatever situation caused it better next time.
You like sports, and that's going to help a lot. Losing weight really is about the food. But exercise gives you what I call 'play calories' - extra room in your calorie budget to spend on foods that will keep you happy and on the wagon.
MFP's boards, despite the snarking, are a great place to learn about how to do it right this time. If you really want it more than anything else, read around the boards, experiment with what works for you, learn from your failures, ask for advice when you're stuck... you'll do it this time. :-)
Awesome post!
Figuring out a plan that is sustainable for you is really the key. No one else can figure that out for you so listen to the advice you're given but understand that you may need to take bits and pieces of each and apply them to fit your needs. Be willing to experiment and adjust as you go along. Weight loss changes as you lose weight. It's never linear. It comes off quickly and easily at first and more slowly as you approach your goal because you are moving less mass around so are burning less calories. Some weeks you will lose more weight than others and some you might even gain. As long as the overall trend is downward, you're on the right track.
As far as a "plan"? Just eat less calories than the goal MFP sets for you each day. What you eat isn't as important as how much you eat. Log your calories accurately and faithfully while doing that and you will lose weight.0 -
Vegetables and fruit; all of them. To save money, buy frequently what is in season on sale that day.
Pastas/Cereals/Rice/Potatoes; all of them. To save money, buy in bulk and on sale.
Proteins; milk, yogurt, cheese, beans, nuts, tofu, and lentils. You can save a lot of money on beans if you learn to soak and cook from dry.
There are tons of lovely vegetarian Indian sauces using curries, tomatoes, and cream (replace with yogurt). You may buy these sauces pre-made.
I don't like deadlines but prefer to track a trending weight loss. How you gonna feel if you miss a deadline? Like a failure again. Even if you lost weight! Better to set a goal to change behaviors that lead to weight loss.
As a student you need portable snacks and foods to keep you from the vending machines. Here's my blog list of portable snacks.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/mid-day-snacks-722504
Have a variety of plastic ware and ziplocs to pre-package your food to take with you.
You might pick a weekend cooking day to prepare a big batch of a favorite meal, then package for the week.0 -
Just start by logging your food and getting familiar with the calories you are taking in. Once you become more conscious of how the numbers work and how it is adding up versus what your body burns in a day you will be able to make your own choices. No one can do it for you.
The good news is that you can very easily change your habits and as a guy, it's actually kind of easy to lose weight if you develop a few good habits. I literally am losing weight without even really trying anymore so long as I:
1. Don't snack between meals - I thoroughly enjoy my 3 daily meals, especially dinner and get to make the most of them by "saving" my calories for the "main event".
2. Make fast food / restaurant food an occasional indulgence (once a week or so) and eat homemade.
3. It'd be nice to lose 2 lbs a week, did it a few times on a tight low-cal diet but eventually I got sick of always "being on a diet" and slowly reverted to all my old bad habits. A moderate change in habits + time = long term success.0 -
Try getting a FREE MFP mentor:
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10035755/2015-adopt-a-noob-official-mfp-thread/p10 -
Just start by logging your food and getting familiar with the calories you are taking in.
I agree that the most important thing is to use MFP honestly. Log in everything that passes your lips. Log what you are going to eat before you eat it. Seeing those numbers gave me the "data" required to have self-discipline and exercise every single day. Logging it all - honestly - keeps me accountable.
You can do it. It is in you and there are lots of people here to help, and it is all in your hands.0 -
You want to lose 80 pounds in less than 5 months? That would be almost 4 pounds a week. Not a good ideal, what's the rush?0
-
I find logging before eating really puts things in perspective.0
-
Hi,
firstly well done for taking the first step - it's always the hardest part but you've got that far so keep going!
No goal is too ambitious - the key is to remember that baby steps are king! An ultimate goal is great, but set smaller goals in between to help keep motivated. For example - make it a goal to go a week without fizzy drinks or 10 days without ordering a pizza (I also did this - I saved the money from ordering pizzas and put it towards a new outfit for when I'd lost some weight - but whatever works for you! - set a goal!)
(As someone who completely lost all willpower and gained back half of what I worked so hard to lose, I know the importance of being realistic as well as ambitious, and smaller goals I can achieve regularly help me to remember that the big goal is achievable)
I have a similar diet to you - I'm Indian, vegetarian with no eggs (I eat eggs in cakes/biscuits etc but don't have any eggs in my house) and it can sometimes seem daunting - especially when figuring out proteins etc.
It's difficult to make a plan for someone else as everyone is different but definitely make use of the different forums and topic boards on this site - it's great!
Foods - As a student a few years ago, I put on a LOT of weight (I'm only 5'0 so it was completely noticeable too!) but it's not all doom and gloom! Use it to your advantage! You have a set timetable I assume with lectures/seminars/sports etc. Make a proper timetable and see if you can plan in meal times - this wont always work but should get you into an eating routine. Keep snacks with you so that you can make informed eating choices if your routine runs awry
Prepare food in advance - on a Saturday daytime or Sunday, make food for the week and pack/freeze so you know exactly what you're doing on the day
Nuts, Mixed fruits, popcorn (in moderation - not the sweet stuff!) seeds are all great and filling in small amounts. ALWAYS keep water with you! If you think you're feeling hungry shortly after a meal, drink water first, wait 5 mins and if you're still hungry, try water again
until you're sure it's hunger
For main meals - quorn is fantastic! Tons of options, quick to cook with lots of veggies too! (I use Quorn chicken style pieces with mixed veg for stir fry or with peppers and onions in fajitas etc - so many varieties!)
Even Indian meals can be packed full of nutrition when done in the right way. A lot of Indian recipes call for things like cream - I don't have one recipe I cook with cream! Pulses and lentils, beans and vegetables are really easy and fast to cook and you can chop/prepare and freeze them in advance in good portion sizes so when it comes to making the meal they're ready! I do this a lot so that once I'm home from work in the evenings dinner is ready in half the time! (just send a message if you need ideas for simple Indian meals that are really easy and quick to cook!)
You don't have to give up everything you love! It's all about eating in proportion. I'm tiny but I eat the portions of a 6'0 man so obviously I gained weight, but once I ate portions that were suited to my size, the weight slowly started dropping. and this was before I incorporated ANY exercise into my routine.
I think someone above said 'make smart food choices' - I agree whole heartedly - I remind myself to do this constantly eg. One pack of crisps I wanted was 134cals but 1 banana and 1 apple totalled only 117 cals - and they filled me for a lot longer!
Start with easy things - swap fizzy drinks for water, or a sugar free squash at first. Swap a chocolate/sweet snack for a hand full of nuts or some fruit - little things like this make a huge difference. And then start introducing exercise, remember Slow and Steady really does win the race. You mentioned you liked sports, so maybe take one up in a club or society or ask if you can at least train with them (- a friend of mine did this and they agreed without him actually joining the team)
Walk instead of taking a cab, or get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way. If your halls/uni has lifts, take the stairs instead. The bus thing is great and gradually get off 2 stops or 3 stops early and before you know it, you're walking half the way!
Most importantly - don't beat yourself up if you have an off day. I have hundreds of those, but it's making the decision to stop that bad day become a continuous cycle.
You can do it - I won't promise it will be easy or that it will necessarily happen quickly - but it WILL happen if you want it to. And you've taken the first step already so take the next and the one after that and then it'll become easier and you'll get better!
Good luck and feel free to msg if you need any help!
(ps. my diary is empty because I fell off the wagon and stopped logging - nobody's perfect lol!)
0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »You want to lose 80 pounds in less than 5 months? That would be almost 4 pounds a week. Not a good ideal, what's the rush?
I graduate Uni on that day so I wanted to set that as a goal
0 -
Vegetables and fruit; all of them. To save money, buy frequently what is in season on sale that day.
Pastas/Cereals/Rice/Potatoes; all of them. To save money, buy in bulk and on sale.
Proteins; milk, yogurt, cheese, beans, nuts, tofu, and lentils. You can save a lot of money on beans if you learn to soak and cook from dry.
There are tons of lovely vegetarian Indian sauces using curries, tomatoes, and cream (replace with yogurt). You may buy these sauces pre-made.
I don't like deadlines but prefer to track a trending weight loss. How you gonna feel if you miss a deadline? Like a failure again. Even if you lost weight! Better to set a goal to change behaviors that lead to weight loss.
As a student you need portable snacks and foods to keep you from the vending machines. Here's my blog list of portable snacks.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/mid-day-snacks-722504
Have a variety of plastic ware and ziplocs to pre-package your food to take with you.
You might pick a weekend cooking day to prepare a big batch of a favorite meal, then package for the week.
Cheers for the post. Just a quick question. I was told that pastas, rice and potatoes were fattening and I should cut them out from my diet. Is this true?0 -
Thank you everyone for your replies. I have read through all of them and found them very endearing and supportive.
Just a quick update into my life schedule for those whom were asking. I go to Uni approximately 4 days a week. I work in a pub approximately 20 hours a week during Term time and full time during holidays.
A lot of my nights are late because I am closing at the pub and end up coming home at 2:00 am. Not having eaten since 7:00 pm, I often resort to ordering takeout (usually pizza because that is generally what's left open) so if anyone could offer an alternative to this, it would be a great help to me and my wallet.
Many of you guys suggested different foods to start eating, which I appreciate and will try. Are there any exercises and/or workouts that I should be focusing on while I go to the gym or at home?0 -
Hi,
firstly well done for taking the first step - it's always the hardest part but you've got that far so keep going!
No goal is too ambitious - the key is to remember that baby steps are king! An ultimate goal is great, but set smaller goals in between to help keep motivated. For example - make it a goal to go a week without fizzy drinks or 10 days without ordering a pizza (I also did this - I saved the money from ordering pizzas and put it towards a new outfit for when I'd lost some weight - but whatever works for you! - set a goal!)
(As someone who completely lost all willpower and gained back half of what I worked so hard to lose, I know the importance of being realistic as well as ambitious, and smaller goals I can achieve regularly help me to remember that the big goal is achievable)
I have a similar diet to you - I'm Indian, vegetarian with no eggs (I eat eggs in cakes/biscuits etc but don't have any eggs in my house) and it can sometimes seem daunting - especially when figuring out proteins etc.
It's difficult to make a plan for someone else as everyone is different but definitely make use of the different forums and topic boards on this site - it's great!
Foods - As a student a few years ago, I put on a LOT of weight (I'm only 5'0 so it was completely noticeable too!) but it's not all doom and gloom! Use it to your advantage! You have a set timetable I assume with lectures/seminars/sports etc. Make a proper timetable and see if you can plan in meal times - this wont always work but should get you into an eating routine. Keep snacks with you so that you can make informed eating choices if your routine runs awry
Prepare food in advance - on a Saturday daytime or Sunday, make food for the week and pack/freeze so you know exactly what you're doing on the day
Nuts, Mixed fruits, popcorn (in moderation - not the sweet stuff!) seeds are all great and filling in small amounts. ALWAYS keep water with you! If you think you're feeling hungry shortly after a meal, drink water first, wait 5 mins and if you're still hungry, try water again
until you're sure it's hunger
For main meals - quorn is fantastic! Tons of options, quick to cook with lots of veggies too! (I use Quorn chicken style pieces with mixed veg for stir fry or with peppers and onions in fajitas etc - so many varieties!)
Even Indian meals can be packed full of nutrition when done in the right way. A lot of Indian recipes call for things like cream - I don't have one recipe I cook with cream! Pulses and lentils, beans and vegetables are really easy and fast to cook and you can chop/prepare and freeze them in advance in good portion sizes so when it comes to making the meal they're ready! I do this a lot so that once I'm home from work in the evenings dinner is ready in half the time! (just send a message if you need ideas for simple Indian meals that are really easy and quick to cook!)
You don't have to give up everything you love! It's all about eating in proportion. I'm tiny but I eat the portions of a 6'0 man so obviously I gained weight, but once I ate portions that were suited to my size, the weight slowly started dropping. and this was before I incorporated ANY exercise into my routine.
I think someone above said 'make smart food choices' - I agree whole heartedly - I remind myself to do this constantly eg. One pack of crisps I wanted was 134cals but 1 banana and 1 apple totalled only 117 cals - and they filled me for a lot longer!
Start with easy things - swap fizzy drinks for water, or a sugar free squash at first. Swap a chocolate/sweet snack for a hand full of nuts or some fruit - little things like this make a huge difference. And then start introducing exercise, remember Slow and Steady really does win the race. You mentioned you liked sports, so maybe take one up in a club or society or ask if you can at least train with them (- a friend of mine did this and they agreed without him actually joining the team)
Walk instead of taking a cab, or get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way. If your halls/uni has lifts, take the stairs instead. The bus thing is great and gradually get off 2 stops or 3 stops early and before you know it, you're walking half the way!
Most importantly - don't beat yourself up if you have an off day. I have hundreds of those, but it's making the decision to stop that bad day become a continuous cycle.
You can do it - I won't promise it will be easy or that it will necessarily happen quickly - but it WILL happen if you want it to. And you've taken the first step already so take the next and the one after that and then it'll become easier and you'll get better!
Good luck and feel free to msg if you need any help!
(ps. my diary is empty because I fell off the wagon and stopped logging - nobody's perfect lol!)
Hey, its good to see someone with a similar diet and situation as me.
I will definitely try some of the suggestions you mentioned above, and will try to keep track of my food intake using MFP 0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 916 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions