A lot to lose

Hi there,
I follow a low carb high fat diet, it works for me as I'm a cheese-a-holic! Have shifted 2 stone eating that way! This is a very good site if you want to check it out http://www.dietdoctor.com/welcome
Good luck & well done on your 6lb loss :-)

Even if you choose a special diet like lchf you still have to make sure you have a calorie deficit even tho the die hard lchfers will tell you you don't...trust me I have tried it and after water weight there were no additional losses and even gains because I was eating too much;) I like eating whatever I want as long as I have calories available for it:)

"Watching portions" is great. Make sure to get yourself a food scale and use it, if you aren't doing so already. Track a week or two to see how many calories you are actually consuming, and then make a cut of 250-1000 per day, depending on your goals and preferences.

As for exercise, it can be anything you like. The best advice I can give is to start simple and work your way up to more challenging things. Strength training is always a good idea, but that doesn't have to mean lifting weights like a body builder. Anything that makes you stronger is good.

And, stay hydrated.

Hornsby wrote: »

Find an exercise routine you can stick with. Find an eating plan you can stick with. Eat at a calorie deficit. Profit. No tricks required.

Pretty much what I did to lose 173#. Took 4 years, so I recommend having a lot of patience.

Congrats on your weight loss so far, and for committing to having a healthier lifestyle!

I was in the same boat two years ago, and in that time frame, I've lost 115 pounds (with another 40 or so to go). When I initially started, I didn't count calories or weigh foods or do that sort of thing (I joined MFP when I'd already lost 55 pounds). I already knew that I was eating crap food, and way too much of it. Chocolate poptarts for breakfast with peanut butter crackers, tons of fast food for lunch (my standard McD's order was two hamburgers, a large fry, three chocolate cookies. That's 1500 calories, plus sometimes I'd get a milkshake), and bags of potato chips, boxes of cheese crackers, and cookies for dinner. I knew that's why I was fat.

I also knew I didn't want to follow a diet plan. First, I didn't have the money for Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig or NutriSystem. I couldn't afford to buy meal replacement shakes or pre-packaged meals from some "nutrition guru". I also knew I was a picky eater, and if I was going to be forced to eat foods I didn't like, I wouldn't stick with the plan. Second, I knew I wanted something for the long haul. I didn't want some crazy fad diet where you just eat cabbage soup, or drink maple syrup drinks with cayenne pepper, for two weeks and you lose a quick five pounds. I had way too much weight to lose. So I knew right away that I had to go it alone. I had to find what worked for me, not what was sold to me by the diet industry. (Remember, they don't want you to permanently lose weight, or they'd go out of business. They want you to yo-yo, so you keep trying different products and schemes, so they make more money. Don't be their cash cow!)

So, I started changing my diet. I learned how to cook--the web is such a great resource for any foods you're looking for. I started staying away from things that were heavily processed and tried simpler foods--raw fruits and veg, not stuff from a can or in a plastic package. I experimented with different cereals and yogurts for breakfast, sought out easy lunches, tried various side dishes, learned to build a tasty salad. I decreased how often I went out for restaurant food, though I do still go sometimes, just much less often. Experiment! Try new foods (who knew I would be eating this much kale two years ago?) and try different recipes. Change up your eating patterns--maybe you need snacks throughout your day to keep your energy going, maybe you're good with three main meals, maybe you need a lot of calories in the morning with a small dinner at night, or maybe you need it the opposite way.

I also started educating myself. I read a lot of books on nutrition--not fad diets from Dr. Oz or Oprah, nothing like that, but just general information on nutrition. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of things we just don't know about food. I also started reading about food policy in the United States, where I live. I love Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle, who have really educated me about our food system. I suppose this is all optional, of course, but I think trying to educate yourself about food can help you in your journey. I've learned a lot about nutrition, and I've learned a lot about what we face in Western countries with deceptive food companies, tons of insidious advertising, and bogus health claims. After all, Kraft, Nabisco, PepsiCo--these corporations are not your friends. They just want your cash and they don't care about your health, no matter what they advertise. So keep an open mind and read widely--and question what you read.

As for exercise, I started small. Really small. Like, "Take one flight of stairs at work every day" small, and "Walk to the leasing office of my apartment complex" small. I was amazed at how just a stroll around the block was winding. I couldn't even vacuum my apartment in one go, I had to sit and take a break between rooms. But within a few weeks, I started seeing simple physical improvements. I didn't huff and puff as much. I didn't get as sore as I thought I would. I took it really slow, just with walking, and gradually expanded my exercise routine. After a few months, I joined a gym, and took some sessions with a trainer to learn how to lift weights properly, and to learn simple exercises I can do at home with no equipment (I was very concerned about injuring myself).

It's unbelievable where I am today, compared to two years ago. I eat tons of fruits and vegetables at every meal--fruit and kale smoothies at breakfast, big salad and fruit for lunch, homemade casseroles/pasta dishes with colorful veg side dishes for dinner. My fitness is through the roof. I work out six days a week, regularly jog 3ks, take yoga 3 times a week, and go for long walks on the weekend, just for pleasure (11 miles on Sunday, which got me a wicked sunburn). That hasn't happened over night--I mean, when I first started, I couldn't do a single flight of stairs! Now I regularly take the stairs at work (six floors) and at home--and I live on the 12th floor of a high rise.

When you have a lot to lose, it's easy to see big results from small changes--as you've already noticed! Just by cutting back on the colored drinks (all of them, not just sodas, but juices and energy drinks too) you'll reduce calories and see results. This really is a journey--you aren't going to immediately jump into a perfect, flawless plan you can easily follow. You're going to have missteps and mistakes on the way. Find what works for you. It may take weeks or months, and you may have some dead ends. Be patient and persistent, and be realistic--it comes off fast at first, but it will slow down.

The key is to keep going! You CAN do it!

@kthompson601 You sound just like what I needed to hear! My husband too. If you aren't motivation for me to continue, then I'm blind! I'm 5 ft, 245#...wanting to be around 135 or so. I have a ways to go. Hubby is 5 ft 8 in, 400+#. Can't be weighed atm because of no scale able to support him. He has even father. Baby steps!