Looking to lose 100+ pounds... the healthy way!

johntomeco wrote: »

Reading through the post there are some wonderful heart-felt stories from compassionate people who seem to mirror many of my pitfalls and frustrations.

I want to live. I don't even know where to begin. Maybe u guys can help me start......

Girl, you have found your way to the right place! This is a GREAT group of people, and believe it or not, this journey can actually be way easier than you think. It's all about baby steps and refusing to quit. Every one of us fails/slips/messes-up, but you dust yourself off and step back on the path. You can do this, we can all do this

taketwo2014 wrote: »

@johntomeco
This is a great place to come for support. I've gained so many wonderful friends through this community chat. Adding friends really helps me feel accountable for what I eat and how I workout. You CAN lose weight. Stay positive

Hi everyone
I'm 27 married. I am 80lbs overweight. I've always been over weight and have always struggled with my weight. I have a food and junk food addiction I'm trying to kick. I'm looking for support friends, exercise friends, and food support friends. To help motivate and be motivated. If you need help add me and we can do this together

want2behappy31 wrote: »

I am happy to say that I finally found my FitBit last night. It had been lost for 6 days. I did so much walking over the weekend, I'm sad I didn't have it to track. I remember I hated the thing at first. Put it back in the box at first after only wearing it for an hour. Made myself wear it the next day and now I can't do without it. It's a HUGE motivation for me. Something that I really need.

You can find friends in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users Fitbit challenges are great motivation—and fun!

Welcome to all the wonderful new people! You have found an amazing group of people who love to support each other! Feel free to add me if you like

Have to give it one more day before I can get back in the pool. I have really missed swimming and can't wait to get back at it!

I have literally tried just about every diet or eating program out there. They all work. As long as you continue to follow them for the rest of your life. That's where my issues stepped in. I could follow them for awhile, and especially the stricter they were, the less time I could maintain it. I had to figure out that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to make a habit of eating differently... and always being mindful of what is going into my mouth. Low carb was the easiest for me to stick to, and I stuck to it for over a year, but I just couldn't see going the rest of my life with no ice cream, avoiding pasta and bread... etc. I wanted to be able to take part in birthday parties and try the homemade cake, etc. SO I decided that I was just going to have to put my big girl undies on and grow up about my attitude with food. I realized that food is not my problem, my problem is my addiction to it. So I am working to create a healthy attitude about food, and form a lasting relationship. It starts with realizing that I can eat just about anything.... but if it isn't conducive to good health, I shouldn't have it very often. There is a reason that certain foods or drinks have been called 'treats' for years. Theres a reason that children growing up thirty years or more ago were told by mom "no" when we wanted candy or soft drinks. When I was a kid growing up, I remember we never even had soft drinks in the house. We drank water, milk, or tea. On occasion we had kool-aid- as a treat. Fast food restaurants have somehow brainwashed people to think that eating or drinking a certain way should be a normal occurrence. That its okay to go out to eat fast meal everyday. That we 'deserve a break today'. Fast food is not meant to be the food that sustains us. What we put into our bodies really is a good indicator of our health. If we put modified foods full of preservatives and fillers into us, we cant expect to be healthy. But eating real food 90% of the time, leaves room for those special 'treats' (like ice cream, cake, cookies, potato chips, French fries, a cheeseburger, soft drinks, etc) without it hurting our weight loss efforts. Moderation is key.
Just to share the biggest tip that helped me to retrain how I ate and stop the food cravings... For just a month, I told myself that I was not eating anything that was not 'real food'. I made a deal with myself that if I did mess up and eat something I should not have, that I needed to work out and burn off the calories contained in whatever it was. I got to the point to where when someone asked me if I wanted to go to DQ and get a blizzard, I would ask myself, is tasting that ice cream for 10 minutes worth having to work out for 3 hours? Usually the answer was no. Especially after I had to follow through and do it a few times. It really wasn't worth it. So I stick with that idea.... if I want something that is high in calories, or want a meal that is really outside of my daily calorie range, I have to work out and burn the calories off if I decide to have it. I rarely decide to go ahead and have it. My motivation changed from the good feeling of having something taste good in my mouth for a moment, to the good feeling of knowing I didn't have all the extra workouts hanging over my head.
Best of luck to ya as you continue your lifestyle changes, and lose the weight!!

I spent 4 hours yesterday reading and reading and reading some more about nutrition and macros (fats, proteins, and carbs) on this website, and so many of the things I use to believe have been blown apart as absolute *bull*. :::sigh::: I ran all over the internet pulling peer-reviewed articles and confirming or debunking information. The end result, I now know exactly how much protein, carbs, and fats I need to eat to lose fat AND gain muscle. If anyone is interested, this website is REALLY easy to read and you can do your own fact-checking if you are unsure of something you read.
acaloriecounter.com/diet/

For all my years of reading and studying nutrition and exercise, I'm just staggered by how killing a few small widely held beliefs has changed the way I'm now going to approach my eating. The foods I eat aren't really going to change, but the rigid structure I've held myself to is going to shift a bit and I feel this great sense of relief, not to mention BELIEF that I've finally GOT IT! I understand! We'll see how this all plays out over the coming months, because you can be sure I'm going to post every success and failure right here.

shirayne wrote: »

So what does everyone have planned for Valentine's Day dinner? We're having steak and roasted brussel sprouts and a modified version of fettuccine alfredo with scallops. Going to be eating very light until then to save up my calories but my goal tonight is to really listen to my body and stop eating when I'm full. I'll use all the techniques I can think of... putting down utensils between bites, cutting and then switching my fork to the other hand, drinking water before and during... all to see if I can start working on my self-control!

I have never done the 21 day fix but I did try 30 day shred. If they are similar then I would log it as circuit training. That is what most people told me when I first started it here. Hope that helps!

hello everyone lf anybody is looking for a buddy feel free to add me

sunnyeuphoria i agree with you about the complete change of attitude towards food.I do not deprive myself but i also no longer live on "treats".

A good rule of thumb is if you want to eat back your exercise calories (and you can if you want to) is to only eat back half of them. This way in case there are any errors (because there is no way to exactly measure how many calories you burn).

Hippychick5983 wrote: »

A good rule of thumb is if you want to eat back your exercise calories (and you can if you want to) is to only eat back half of them. This way in case there are any errors (because there is no way to exactly measure how many calories you burn).

Thanks @Hippychick5983 !! I do not eat back my exercise calories, because I have so much to lose and I try to be in a bigger deficit if that makes any sense to you! I may be doing it wrong

I am 37 and in need to lose a little over 100 lbs. I been having trouble with staying full. Any pointers??