Where do I begin........literally?

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East1726
East1726 Posts: 10 Member
in Getting Started
I've finally made the decision to focus on my weight loss and not give up after two weeks like I normally would. I think the reason I always lose my motivation is because I go strong for about two weeks and then I binge and say to hell with it.

Can anyone please give me some tips on how to start this journey and make it last, forever?

Literally, what is the first thing I do when I wake up tomorrow morning?

Need tips on healthy foods that aren't boring, breakfast ideas, meal plans, foods to completely cut out, foods that are still okay to eat...etc...

In serious need of help here. I've got over 100lbs to lose and I just want to jump in a pool with my kids without feeling like a floating device :(
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  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    First thing: log everything you eat and any caloric drinks. Get into the habit of logging before you eat. I would do this for a week or two without making any eating changes just to see what you are eating and how much.

    If you log before you eat, you get the chance to change your mind about what and how much you really want to eat before it's been eaten.

    Second thing: get a food scale so that you can weigh solid foods. It's much more accurate to weigh than to use measuring cups/spoons for solids. It will take practice to get comfortable with it but soon it will become second nature.

    Third thing: start making small changes that you'll be comfortable sticking with forever.

    I've been at this for about 9 months. I eat the things I like and I don't eat things I don't like. I am making different choices, such as grilled chicken rather than fried chicken, but I like grilled chicken. I'm having a little chocolate every day because I'm not going to give up chocolate. Portion control using the food scale has helped oodles at losing weight without being overly restrictive about what I'm eating.

    You can do this!
  • East1726
    East1726 Posts: 10 Member
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    seska422 wrote: »
    First thing: log everything you eat and any caloric drinks. Get into the habit of logging before you eat. I would do this for a week or two without making any eating changes just to see what you are eating and how much.

    If you log before you eat, you get the chance to change your mind about what and how much you really want to eat before it's been eaten.

    Second thing: get a food scale so that you can weigh solid foods. It's much more accurate to weigh than to use measuring cups/spoons for solids. It will take practice to get comfortable with it but soon it will become second nature.

    Third thing: start making small changes that you'll be comfortable sticking with forever.

    I've been at this for about 9 months. I eat the things I like and I don't eat things I don't like. I am making different choices, such as grilled chicken rather than fried chicken, but I like grilled chicken. I'm having a little chocolate every day because I'm not going to give up chocolate. Portion control using the food scale has helped oodles at losing weight without being overly restrictive about what I'm eating.

    You can do this!

    Thank you so much! Those tips are very helpful. As I was reading through some of the posts I did notice that it's important to have a food scale. Guess what I'll be buying tomorrow? lol

    Thanks again :)
  • valleryfarms
    valleryfarms Posts: 15 Member
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    following because I need tips also! I have to do this for real this time, I want to be able to wear cute clothing and be more healthier and feel better about myself. If anyone wants to be friends on here or on fitbit please send me a request, I could use all the support I can get! and I love to help motivate others and hopefully motivate myself at the same time.
  • East1726
    East1726 Posts: 10 Member
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    valleryfarms wrote: »
    following because I need tips also! I have to do this for real this time, I want to be able to wear cute clothing and be more healthier and feel better about myself. If anyone wants to be friends on here or on fitbit please send me a request, I could use all the support I can get! and I love to help motivate others and hopefully motivate myself at the same time.

    Sending you a message :)
  • Forty6and2
    Forty6and2 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
    This is one of my favorite threads for getting started!

    In addition to the first poster, who really hit the nail on the head in terms of eating habits, I would suggesting finding an exercise you like to do and stick to it. I find the group exercise classes (if you have access to a gym) really help me stay motivated. If you don't have access to a gym (I know memberships can be super expensive) there are plenty of workouts you can do at home. I started with 30 Day Shred a while ago and I absolutely loved it. There's also a website called Fitness Blender where you can find workouts depending on what you like to do, your fitness level, and the equipment you have on hand. AND IT'S FREE!

    These are definitely the places I would suggest starting. Good luck!
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    Where do you begin? Either at the sexy pants thread listed above, or with my post here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside#latest
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Start with reading the stickies:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

    Then, start making changes - one thing at a time if necessary. Some people can jump into things and completely immerse themselves and be successful, others need to do things a little bit at a time. Find the way that works for you and just start doing it. Be consistent and patient. And seriously, read the stickies.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Baby steps. Make a decision to make better choices. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to improve. Cut yourself some slack. None of us are perfect.

    Don't make drastic changes. Eat less; but choose a calorie goal you can live with for awhile.

    Don't eliminate foods you love. That can lead to binges. I love chocolate. So I allow myself a square of dark chocolate everyday. Ghiradelli squares are individually wrapped, so they work great for me.

    Veggies are low calorie and high volume. I add veggies to lunch and dinner. Choose different varieties, cook them different ways, add different spices and they won't be boring.

    Protein, fat and fiber are filling. I like Greek yogurt with berries, nuts, and Fiber One for breakfast.

    After the food thing is in hand, make a plan to move more. If you don't have a pedometer you might want to invest in one. This may motivate you to move more. Find an activity that you enjoy. This will make you more consistent.
  • East1726
    East1726 Posts: 10 Member
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    You are all so amazing for taking the time to offer me some tips. I've read all the stickies :) At the moment, I'm racking my brain about what to eat for breakfast tomorrow morning. I don't want to screw this up with my very first healthy meal. Lol
  • gems74
    gems74 Posts: 107 Member
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    Good Luck East! So much great advice here. I especially like the logging for a week before making drastic changes. Just being aware of calories and nutritional content will help you make better choices. Start small, then as you get more informed you can make more changes. It's a marathon, not a sprint... This is for the long haul!

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    I don't know if this will help or not, but every morning for breakfast I eat a Jimmy Dean Delights English Muffin (found in the breakfast freezer section at the store) that is made with egg white, cheese, and turkey sausage. It's convenient, 250 calories, microwaves in 2.5 minutes, and it has a good macro balance to start my day. Kind of heavy on the sodium but nothing's perfect. ;)
  • East1726
    East1726 Posts: 10 Member
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    seska422 wrote: »
    I don't know if this will help or not, but every morning for breakfast I eat a Jimmy Dean Delights English Muffin (found in the breakfast freezer section at the store) that is made with egg white, cheese, and turkey sausage. It's convenient, 250 calories, microwaves in 2.5 minutes, and it has a good macro balance to start my day. Kind of heavy on the sodium but nothing's perfect. ;)

    Yep, I've seen those but I'm trying sooooo hard to stay away from pre made meals, frozen meals, etc. I bought some quick oats and greek yogurt today so I think I'll start with that and see where the rest of the day takes me :)
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    Remember, you want to try to avoid
    I think the reason I always lose my motivation is because I go strong for about two weeks and then I binge and say to hell with it.
    Quick oats and Greek yogurt are great if you like them. Don't change too many things at once or else you're more likely to give up.
  • East1726
    East1726 Posts: 10 Member
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    seska422 wrote: »
    Remember, you want to try to avoid
    I think the reason I always lose my motivation is because I go strong for about two weeks and then I binge and say to hell with it.
    Quick oats and Greek yogurt are great if you like them. Don't change too many things at once or else you're more likely to give up.

    I've always liked greek yogurt. The quick oats are new for me but I'll give them a try. If I don't like them, I'll have a slice of whole wheat toast or something. This needs to work for me. I cannot lose myself after two weeks like I always do. I'm not going to make myself eat something just because it's healthy. I need to enjoy it too :/
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    I understand your issue. It's the same that I have except that I usually do well for 4-6 months and then fall off the wagon and not get back on until I've regained all my weight plus some. So my biggest focus this time around is to make sure I always continue on this path, even if I've had a cheat meal, day, or weekend.

    As far as breakfast, you should eat something that you like. My favorite is a small-medium sized baked potato, 2 eggs, plus some type of delicious sauce like pesto or salsa. I look forward to this meal almost every day and I never feel like I am dieting when I eat it. My breakfast usually comes in around 300-450 calories and fills me up for hours.

    Good luck and feel free to friend me. :)
  • East1726
    East1726 Posts: 10 Member
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    lulalacroix wrote: »
    I understand your issue. It's the same that I have except that I usually do well for 4-6 months and then fall off the wagon and not get back on until I've regained all my weight plus some. So my biggest focus this time around is to make sure I always continue on this path, even if I've had a cheat meal, day, or weekend.

    As far as breakfast, you should eat something that you like. My favorite is a small-medium sized baked potato, 2 eggs, plus some type of delicious sauce like pesto or salsa. I look forward to this meal almost every day and I never feel like I am dieting when I eat it. My breakfast usually comes in around 300-450 calories and fills me up for hours.

    Good luck and feel free to friend me. :)

    Awesome, thank you! Friending you if that's okay :)
  • SolotoCEO
    SolotoCEO Posts: 293 Member
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    Many times when someone quits their resolution to lose weight it's because they look at this as a diet instead of a lifestyle change or they do the all or nothing approach and when they fall off the wagon they stay off instead of jumping back on. Here's some things that have helped me lose over 100 lbs.

    First - only weigh yourself once a week. Weighing every day will decrease your motivation because the scales can go up for what seems like no reason. Weight loss is not linear.

    Next - drink lots of water. It helps you stay hydrated and full.

    Next - vegetables are your friend. I'm a big eater and often will eat 3 cups of veggies at a meal. That's a lot of food for 100 or so calories.

    Next - this is a lifestyle, not a diet. You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Just do it in moderation and work those calories into your daily goal.

    Next - try to stay within 5% or so of the calorie intake that MFP recommends. Trying to shave lots of calories off that goal will only hurt in the long run. With that you should lose about 2 lbs per week for awhile then it will slow down.

    Hope this helps!
  • East1726
    East1726 Posts: 10 Member
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    SolotoCEO wrote: »
    Many times when someone quits their resolution to lose weight it's because they look at this as a diet instead of a lifestyle change or they do the all or nothing approach and when they fall off the wagon they stay off instead of jumping back on. Here's some things that have helped me lose over 100 lbs.

    First - only weigh yourself once a week. Weighing every day will decrease your motivation because the scales can go up for what seems like no reason. Weight loss is not linear.

    Next - drink lots of water. It helps you stay hydrated and full.

    Next - vegetables are your friend. I'm a big eater and often will eat 3 cups of veggies at a meal. That's a lot of food for 100 or so calories.

    Next - this is a lifestyle, not a diet. You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Just do it in moderation and work those calories into your daily goal.

    Next - try to stay within 5% or so of the calorie intake that MFP recommends. Trying to shave lots of calories off that goal will only hurt in the long run. With that you should lose about 2 lbs per week for awhile then it will slow down.

    Hope this helps!

    This is very helpful! Thank you! I already drink a lot of water but I'm going to try to increase that each day/week. I'm a huge snacker and most times don't eat an actual meal. This will be my biggest hurdle by far. I've already filled out my log for tomorrow and will do my absolute best to eat everything I've logged for the day.

    Big congratulations to you for losing over 100lbs!!!
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
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    1. Figure out how many calories, you should be eating and eat that much. MFP can calculate it for you.
    2. Buy a food scale if you don't have one, its important to be accurate. Also, don't eat too little in the hope you'll lose quicker. This only leads to binging later, out of sheer hunger.
    3. You do not have to cut out any food in order to lose weight. its ok to eat anything if you can make it fit into your calorie allotment. Some people, however have trouble limiting themselves to certain foods though.
    4. Exercise is very important for overall health, but it is NOT essential for weight loss.
    5. Take your time, don't be in a hurry. it's better to lose the weight in a slow sustainable way.
    6. It's ok if you have an occasional bad day, or even a bad week. It took a long time to gain the weight, you will not blow it by overeating once in a while. So many times, it's the guilt that gets us to give up. Just keep going.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    There's nothing wrong with snacking all day rather than eating actual meals. Overall calories are what count, not when you eat them.

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