So upset with my body
natalse
Posts: 22 Member
Due to three surgeries and heart disease I went from 150 lbs of mostly muscle to 190 lbs of fat in the past two years. I am not sure where to start with my weight loss journey because it seems so overwhelming. When I look at myself in the mirror, I can't see me anymore. Can someone please give me some starting tips?
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Replies
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Look through these threads community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260517/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest Lots of great info within.
Buy a digital food scale with a tare function. It doesn't have to be expensive.
And remember this:
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To be fair it's probably more like 80 or 90 lbs of fat but to start off run the goals here, set it to lose 1 lb/week, tweak the % macros with custom goals if you prefer more than 20% protein or less carbs etc. Log everything after weighing, do this for 3-4 weeks with at least 30 mins walking per day. See how it goes - good luck !0
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First of all, breathe. You're absolutely beautiful - your size does not change that. Okay so you weigh more than you did previously? Big deal. It doesn't change who and what you are as a person. Remember this before you do ANYTHING.
Start slow and be realistic. Don't deprive yourself and don't give yourself a huge deficit to stick to per day because it'll make you miserable. You need to give your self esteem a great big boost and depriving and restricting isn't going to help you at all. Stick to a sensible deficit and eat what you like within that limit. Track your food, weigh your food when possible and if you can exercise - fantastic.
Know that this isn't going to happen overnight. You'll most likely experience frustrations and the odd set-back along the way but this is normal and to be expected. Importantly of all - you CAN do this. Have faith in the process and believe in yourself. Good luck.0 -
TheBeachgod wrote: »Look through these threads community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260517/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest Lots of great info within.
Buy a digital food scale with a tare function. It doesn't have to be expensive.
And remember this:
Thank you!! The scale has always been my biggest enemy, I needed that.0 -
To be fair it's probably more like 80 or 90 lbs of fat but to start off run the goals here, set it to lose 1 lb/week, tweak the % macros with custom goals if you prefer more than 20% protein or less carbs etc. Log everything after weighing, do this for 3-4 weeks with at least 30 mins walking per day. See how it goes - good luck !
That's really helpful. Thanks!
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PinkPixiexox wrote: »First of all, breathe. You're absolutely beautiful - your size does not change that. Okay so you weigh more than you did previously? Big deal. It doesn't change who and what you are as a person. Remember this before you do ANYTHING.
Start slow and be realistic. Don't deprive yourself and don't give yourself a huge deficit to stick to per day because it'll make you miserable. You need to give your self esteem a great big boost and depriving and restricting isn't going to help you at all. Stick to a sensible deficit and eat what you like within that limit. Track your food, weigh your food when possible and if you can exercise - fantastic.
Know that this isn't going to happen overnight. You'll most likely experience frustrations and the odd set-back along the way but this is normal and to be expected. Importantly of all - you CAN do this. Have faith in the process and believe in yourself. Good luck.
I tend to binge then restrict a lot. It's hard for me to start weight loss without a lot of restriction but I'll remember to be realistic and not try to lose it all in a couple weeks like I've done before. Thank you!!0 -
It might help to become friends with your body. (I am serious).
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Restrict and binge is the recipe for yo-yo loss and gain it took several years to gain. So what if it takes several years to lose. If you keep it off the extra time will be worth it.
But I really think you ought to go for counseling about your view of yourself. It can help. I know.0 -
You CAN do this! It is not fun to be at a constant war with your body. So as people have said don't restrict yourself. Don't expect your weight loss to happen overnight. Small changes add up to big successes.
I have found it most helpful for weight loss to log everything you eat (obviously). But the days I have missed logging I slip back in to bad food choices and lose focus on my fitness goals. Have daily conversations with friends and families about your fitness journey. It's motivating and helps people around you understand what you are going through and not influence you in any negative way to make bad food choices when you are with them.
You got this girl. Also... Sent you a friend request ☺️0 -
Btw you're gorgeous xx0
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Since I hate the way I look (238 lbs., the last 100 of which just seemed to appear from nowhere), I've found other things to focus on that drive home to me the progress I'm making every day and every week. First, I took my doctor's advice to do 45 minutes of cardio every day with my heart rate above 110. (Get a monitor; they're cheap and interesting. Mine was $22 on Amazon.) He also said to lose 20 lbs. immediately to stave off a scary medical condition, so I came here and starting logging and limiting calories. Those two things are mindless and non-negotiable. What keeps me doing them day after day is the knowledge that every few days I'll get a concrete reinforcing sign. It may be a slight change in the weight scale. It may be a change in inches on my hips, or looser waistbands. It may be an ability to increase the incline or the pace on the daily treadmill. Somehow I have to associate the daily routine of a calorie limit and an exercise session with these occasional signs of specific progress. I find that the more things I can measure (weight, inches, resting heart rate), the more likely it is that I can find improvement in at least one of them every day, which makes the effort and the new habits worth it. I'm headed in a new direction, with a destination that's an improvement rather than a place of despair.
Also, although the vast stretch of time between me today and what I'd like to be in a year is daunting, I tell myself: I've been at it for almost a month, and already the habits are just part of my day. Anything I can do for a month, surely I can do for a year? As someone said here recently, don't let the fear of how long something is going to take deter you from starting now. The time is going to pass anyway.0 -
TheBeachgod wrote: »
Oh man... I am so writing this out tonight when i get home and posting it above my scale!!! I need to hear this!0 -
PinkPixiexox wrote: »First of all, breathe. You're absolutely beautiful - your size does not change that. Okay so you weigh more than you did previously? Big deal. It doesn't change who and what you are as a person. Remember this before you do ANYTHING.
Start slow and be realistic. Don't deprive yourself and don't give yourself a huge deficit to stick to per day because it'll make you miserable. You need to give your self esteem a great big boost and depriving and restricting isn't going to help you at all. Stick to a sensible deficit and eat what you like within that limit. Track your food, weigh your food when possible and if you can exercise - fantastic.
Know that this isn't going to happen overnight. You'll most likely experience frustrations and the odd set-back along the way but this is normal and to be expected. Importantly of all - you CAN do this. Have faith in the process and believe in yourself. Good luck.
I tend to binge then restrict a lot. It's hard for me to start weight loss without a lot of restriction but I'll remember to be realistic and not try to lose it all in a couple weeks like I've done before. Thank you!!
Please do be more realistic with yourself. If restrict/binge has been your pattern, can you see where the binge comes from? Being too restrictive will just keep you in this cycle. Take it one step at a time. Start this week by weighing and logging your food, that's it. Just become familiar with the site/app whichever you are using. Weighing all solid/semi-solid will be most helpful in portion control. When you log, check the entries. Much of the database is user entered, and therefor prone to errors. I have also noticed differences between countries for the same items. Look at the food label and compare it to the database entry. If there is no label (such as fresh produce), I will usually check it against the USDA website for that food.
And do not be too hard on yourself. Some days you will struggle to stay at your target calories. And then you will discover some foods keep you full longer, and others are tasty, but leave you hungry. It is all part of the learning curve. You can do it. Just keep focused, and reach out to some of the community members you feel will help keep you sane along the way.0 -
Since you have a faced a lot of health challenges why not focus more on getting and feeling healthy and fit again instead of weight? Once you feel strong again then work on any weight that remains.0
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You can absolutely do this! Why start tomorrow when you can start today? just simply push yourself a little bit to do abit more physical exercise than normal even if it is a little walk or going up and down the stairs. Cut down on unhealthy food and drink plenty of water. Don't beat yourself up! it all takes time. Your weight doesn't define you! You can do this! x0
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A friend & I both started losing weight at the same time. The first week, I lost 1 pound. She lost 4. The second week, I lost 1 pound. She lost 3. The third week, I lost 1 pound. She gained 2. By the 21st week, I had lost 21 pounds. She had lost 15 and gained 25. Now I am 24 pounds down, and she has quit and is gaining even more weight. Slow & steady does the job. Binging & restricting is a recipe for failure.
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pstegman888 wrote: »A friend & I both started losing weight at the same time. The first week, I lost 1 pound. She lost 4. The second week, I lost 1 pound. She lost 3. The third week, I lost 1 pound. She gained 2. By the 21st week, I had lost 21 pounds. She had lost 15 and gained 25. Now I am 24 pounds down, and she has quit and is gaining even more weight. Slow & steady does the job. Binging & restricting is a recipe for failure.
Yes! If it helps you not to restrict, I find pre-planning meals and snacks helps (I even pre-cook them and freeze to grab what I'm in the mood for) you to fit the calorie/macro goals that you want. If something is too low, plan to eat more!0 -
PinkPixiexox wrote: »First of all, breathe. You're absolutely beautiful - your size does not change that. Okay so you weigh more than you did previously? Big deal. It doesn't change who and what you are as a person. Remember this before you do ANYTHING.
Start slow and be realistic. Don't deprive yourself and don't give yourself a huge deficit to stick to per day because it'll make you miserable. You need to give your self esteem a great big boost and depriving and restricting isn't going to help you at all. Stick to a sensible deficit and eat what you like within that limit. Track your food, weigh your food when possible and if you can exercise - fantastic.
Know that this isn't going to happen overnight. You'll most likely experience frustrations and the odd set-back along the way but this is normal and to be expected. Importantly of all - you CAN do this. Have faith in the process and believe in yourself. Good luck.
I tend to binge then restrict a lot. It's hard for me to start weight loss without a lot of restriction but I'll remember to be realistic and not try to lose it all in a couple weeks like I've done before. Thank you!!
Here's my DIY tips for binging but some therapy might be helpful as well. I've applied the cognitive/behavioral techniques I learned during my days of drinking to managing food issues.
1. More protein in relationship to carbs can help with the physical urge to overeat: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
2. Yoga can help with the emotional urge to overeat: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-willpower/201007/how-yoga-can-help-end-binge-eating
3. Ramping up activity level in general does something positive as well0 -
^ yes. This. Yoga is fabulous in so many ways, esp body/mind awareness.
In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy, look up dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) -- it teaches you to regulate emotions.0 -
First step - plan! Make it doable, realistic, something that is within your power to do TODAY. The longest journey begins with one step. Google SMART goals, draw one up for yourself, and have a think about the barriers that you will meet -physical, social, emotional, mentsl - and think of ways to overcome them. Good luck, you can do it!0
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Due to three surgeries and heart disease I went from 150 lbs of mostly muscle to 190 lbs of fat in the past two years. I am not sure where to start with my weight loss journey because it seems so overwhelming. When I look at myself in the mirror, I can't see me anymore. Can someone please give me some starting tips?
Are you able to do cardio exercise?
Many heart conditions can benefit greatly from cardio, but make sure to get your doctors green light before doing it. It also makes it easier to not go over your calories.0 -
I tend to binge then restrict a lot. It's hard for me to start weight loss without a lot of restriction but I'll remember to be realistic and not try to lose it all in a couple weeks like I've done before. Thank you!!
The way I think about it:
1. I'm only going to be working at losing weight for so long (probably another year or so for me). I'm going to be working at keeping it off for a lifetime. I want to use the next year to practice as much as I can at the habits that will keep me successful at keeping it off. Will I restrict my whole life? Hell no. Then I won't do it now either. I want the practice to be as close to the "real thing" as possible, or else it's not going to be effective practice.
2. Sure, it will take time, but in a year, I'll be one year older whether I lose weight or not. When I look back in a year, what would I rather look back upon?
3. I don't have to be perfect. One bad day doesn't make me fat any more than one good day makes me thin. I don't need a perfect score, I need to pass. Perfect is out - I won't be able to do it. I aim for good enough. If I sometimes miss my goals, well, unfortunate, but I can miss sometimes and still be good enough.
My only other big secret is planning my meals in advance. So much easier when I know what I'll be having for all meals of the day, and in fact already have my day logged before it even begins.
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rankinsect wrote: »I tend to binge then restrict a lot. It's hard for me to start weight loss without a lot of restriction but I'll remember to be realistic and not try to lose it all in a couple weeks like I've done before. Thank you!!
The way I think about it:
1. I'm only going to be working at losing weight for so long (probably another year or so for me). I'm going to be working at keeping it off for a lifetime. I want to use the next year to practice as much as I can at the habits that will keep me successful at keeping it off. Will I restrict my whole life? Hell no. Then I won't do it now either. I want the practice to be as close to the "real thing" as possible, or else it's not going to be effective practice.
2. Sure, it will take time, but in a year, I'll be one year older whether I lose weight or not. When I look back in a year, what would I rather look back upon?
3. I don't have to be perfect. One bad day doesn't make me fat any more than one good day makes me thin. I don't need a perfect score, I need to pass. Perfect is out - I won't be able to do it. I aim for good enough. If I sometimes miss my goals, well, unfortunate, but I can miss sometimes and still be good enough.
My only other big secret is planning my meals in advance. So much easier when I know what I'll be having for all meals of the day, and in fact already have my day logged before it even begins.
These are all really helpful. Especially #2. I like seeing fast results, which is why I restrict so much. And the worst part is that I've successfully lost a lot of weight extremely fast before. But when you put it like that, I guess a year isn't all that long. And I don't want to have to restrict forever to keep up with that type of dangerous lifestyle I was living before. I'll take your advice0 -
bcalvanese wrote: »Due to three surgeries and heart disease I went from 150 lbs of mostly muscle to 190 lbs of fat in the past two years. I am not sure where to start with my weight loss journey because it seems so overwhelming. When I look at myself in the mirror, I can't see me anymore. Can someone please give me some starting tips?
Are you able to do cardio exercise?
Many heart conditions can benefit greatly from cardio, but make sure to get your doctors green light before doing it. It also makes it easier to not go over your calories.
I'm working with my cardiologist to figure out a safe way for me to do cardio. I have heart disease and walking uphill can cause my heart to reach 194 which is very dangerous. However, I'm on new medicine so, fingers crossed, I will be able to tolerate much more now0 -
soapsandropes wrote: »Since you have a faced a lot of health challenges why not focus more on getting and feeling healthy and fit again instead of weight? Once you feel strong again then work on any weight that remains.
I think I'll lose weight by getting more healthy. My body isn't used to not exercising and eating unhealthily. The exercise was not under my control because of my heart condition and surgeries but I started eating badly and I'm now cleared to do some exercise so I'll start by doing a little every day and eliminating some bad foods a little bit at a time.
Thanks!0 -
Healthy diet and normal exercise can help you reducing weight slowly.. Go slow it is good for your health, you need to take a balanced diet and avoid all high calorie and junk food..0
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