Help me take care of me.

uprisingman
uprisingman Posts: 16 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
So, I'm almost 39 and I realize that my eating habits need a change. I'm your typical obese guy who watches too much TV, spends too much time sitting on a chair, and doesn't move nearly enough. I'm too big to exercise regularly (or even sporadically). I feel that with a change in diet and tracking my calories I can be successful. I'd like to lose weight to get to the point where I can exercise more without excessive fat pain (I feel like this is a thing).

I tried MFP a few years back, and it worked well, but I let someone else's failure influence my progress and soon I gave it up. I'm tired of caring so much about everyone else and realized that I have to do more about taking care of ME.

I'm back and ready to start giving my health my full attention again. I hope to work off some weight and move more at a good pace over the next few years. I'm excited to be alive still and I want to enjoy my time better. I need some diet sharing and some advice on how to be successful at losing and keeping off fat. Bottom line, I'd like to feel better overall. Will you help me please?

Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Welcome! Have you read the stickies? Like this one?

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

  • uprisingman
    uprisingman Posts: 16 Member
    Thank you for the response. I have been putting this off for quite some time. I would like to stay more engaged this time around. I agree that CICO is the best way to look at this. Talking (or typing) is just my way of trying to ask for some friends to look to for dietary habits - what foods will help me make better choices. I guess I'm just asking for someone to remind me how to stay on the proverbial bike this time. Great suggestions! Thank you again!
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    No one can tell you what foods to eat. Thats entirely individual.
    As i said for successful weight loss vast majority of people swear by eat what you normally eat, Just less of it. Myself included. Im 65 pounds down in past 6 months.
    If you want to be happy and make lifelong changes stop overcomplicating it. I love burgers, So i swapped burger and fries for burger and non starchy veggies. Great thing about alot of veggies is you can eat so many. Most of us eat more than we did before starting our "diets"
    I think the biggest mistake people make is trying to uphaul and change their entire lifestyles all at once when its so not necessary. -hands up i did that so many times-
  • AndOne8675
    AndOne8675 Posts: 151 Member
    From reading your post, I want to support you and encourage you to see your doctor if you haven't already. Then go forth and do it! You are the master of your own destiny.
  • uprisingman
    uprisingman Posts: 16 Member
    Wow, you've done really well with your weight loss! Great job. I'm not trying to over think this, but I appreciate the input. What kind of veggies do you like? How do you prepare them? How do you keep yourself from getting bored of them? Me... I'll eat anything but avocado. It just doesn't agree with me. But I like salads, just not all the time. I like roasted veggies. I suppose I'm concerned that I'll get bored with broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus. However, I realize there's more than that. Just looking for some more ideas.
  • uprisingman
    uprisingman Posts: 16 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Welcome! Have you read the stickies? Like this one?

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

    Thanks! I will look these over. Very helpful!
  • uprisingman
    uprisingman Posts: 16 Member
    barberellass wrote: »
    From reading your post, I want to support you and encourage you to see your doctor if you haven't already. Then go forth and do it! You are the master of your own destiny.

    Thank you! I went to the doctor for a full physical earlier this month. I have a green light. Aside from being obese, I am healthy. That sounds weird, but it's what my doctor said. You are so kind to recommend this.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited November 2016
    I dont think iv eaten a salad this entire time XD Besides the occasional cesar salad kit from the grocery store....yummy. Thats why i said its very individual. Personally i LOVE green/yellow beans their my go to. Just buy them for my freezer and stick em in some boiling water. I personally HATE soggy veggies so i make sure not to boil them near as long as it says. They get gross xD I also love carrots i used baby carrots as a way to snack for the first few weeks to get over the mental i need to eat now hurdles. And cherry tomatoes. yummy. I often go for a walk to the store just to buy cherry tomatoes. An entire pint is basically no calories.

    Trick to not getting bored of veggies is to just find what you like and mix them in with delicious yummy stuff you already eat. Sometimes i mix it up with a little salt or some hot sauce. yummy. After a while youll actually crave the veggies i promise XD But again their not even really needed. Just recommended to satisfy the full stomach feeling. And your overall health
  • uprisingman
    uprisingman Posts: 16 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    I dont think iv eaten a salad this entire time XD Besides the occasional cesar salad kit from the grocery store....yummy. Thats why i said its very individual. Personally i LOVE green/yellow beans their my go to. Just buy them for my freezer and stick em in some boiling water. I personally HATE soggy veggies so i make sure not to boil them near as long as it says. They get gross xD I also love carrots i used baby carrots as a way to snack for the first few weeks to get over the mental i need to eat now hurdles. And cherry tomatoes. yummy. I often go for a walk to the store just to buy cherry tomatoes. An entire pint is basically no calories.

    Trick to not getting bored of veggies is to just find what you like and mix them in with delicious yummy stuff you already eat. Sometimes i mix it up with a little salt or some hot sauce. yummy. After a while youll actually crave the veggies i promise XD But again their not even really needed. Just recommended to satisfy the full stomach feeling. And your overall health

    Thanks! All these good ideas. I think the plan is to be consistent at good eating. Like you suggested, if I want a burger, pair it with some veggies. If I want pizza, try not to overdo it, or maybe combine it with veggies or something good. I also know that drinking my calories is not so good of an idea. I like coffee black and iced green tea unsweetened. I will be using those as not-plain-old-water drink choices. But water is good like 75% of the day anyway. Really like the hot sauce idea for kicking up veggies a bit.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited November 2016
    Be careful with thehot sauces they dont have many calories but can have a ton of salt XD Ill stop spamming your thread now and let others get a say, Feel free to message me if you ever have a question :p

    Edit: Salt isnt even bad. Another thing people overthink. We just keep it lower because..Well its not healthy but its not bad XD Makes me retain water and blow up liek a baloon sometimes but it wont halt weight loss or anything :p Might look like it on scale though :(
  • uprisingman
    uprisingman Posts: 16 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    Be careful with thehot sauces they dont have many calories but can have a ton of salt XD Ill stop spamming your thread now and let others get a say, Feel free to message me if you ever have a question :p

    Edit: Salt isnt even bad. Another thing people overthink. We just keep it lower because..Well its not healthy but its not bad XD Makes me retain water and blow up liek a baloon sometimes but it wont halt weight loss or anything :p Might look like it on scale though :(

    I love salty things, and I don't have high blood pressure or anything, but I really don't want to push it. I will be modest in my hot sauce adventures. I appreciate all of your suggestions though.

    You're a sweetheart, thank you for your time. Please add me! Would love to stay in touch.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    Sounds like you have the right attitude as far as being ready to make your health a priority, realizing this will take time (years) and effort, having goals to work towards (like losing enough weight to get active), even having experience with myfitnesspal and weight loss in the past is a plus because you already know how, you just need to stick with it for longer and know to not let outside factors and the needs/influence of others affect you this time.

    It's great to want a community of myfitnesspal friends too, just remember you really are doing this yourself. We can offer help in the form of advice & inspiration, but YOU have to do the real work. You have to take care of you.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    Welcome back! Sounds like your heads in the right place this time around, so now it's time to put that attitude into action :) Weight loss is pretty straightforward-just enter your current stats into MFP, set your goal to 1-2lbs per week (you can always start with 2lbs and then adjust this down to 1lb as you get further along), and then stay within the calorie parameters MFP sets for you. Then, after every 5-10lbs lost, re-enter your stats so your calorie deficit will be adjusted to match your smaller weight.

  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    uprisingman wrote: »
    barberellass wrote: »
    From reading your post, I want to support you and encourage you to see your doctor if you haven't already. Then go forth and do it! You are the master of your own destiny.

    Thank you! I went to the doctor for a full physical earlier this month. I have a green light. Aside from being obese, I am healthy. That sounds weird, but it's what my doctor said. You are so kind to recommend this.

    I was "morbidly obese" but not "unhealthy" when I started using MFP to lose. About that, though: with every year that went by, all of those numbers and signs that they look at to determine overall health were eeking up towards borderline except for A1C. This year, no follow-ups, rechecks, or borderline anything. "Everything looks good. You're doing a great job. Have a great holiday and see you next year!"

    Obesity will catch up with you, and when it does, it won't be pretty. Focus on diet and do what little exercise you can do. I'm saying this because the only way you can be successful is to do it for your own reasons and in your own time. Nobody else's success or failure has a thing to do with you.

    I'm not sure how much sense that all makes. I'm barely awake dealing with a toddler who woke me up having an emotional breakdown because the dog won't go downstairs and hang out with him. I don't blame her.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,130 Member
    I agree that it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you stay within your allotment of calories. But I do have certain "trigger" foods - foods that make me not want to stop eating them even though I told myself I'd have just one. I avoid even buying these. If/when you slip up, just make a note of what caused the problem and try to avoid it in the future. Let yourself make mistakes and get back on track ASAP!
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
    My diary is open .. I'm in the same boat .. I needed to lose some weight before I cold walk very far ..my back hurt too much .. CI verses CO works .. takes some time tho .. Won't happen overnight

    Good luck
  • MalkinMagic71
    MalkinMagic71 Posts: 1,433 Member
    You mentally seem to be in the right frame of mind to do this and that is 99% of the battle IMO.

    You can do this. I started at 388. I'm about 186 Now. You can accomplish anything you put forth the effort in doing. You got this!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    uprisingman wrote: »
    Thank you for the response. I have been putting this off for quite some time. I would like to stay more engaged this time around. I agree that CICO is the best way to look at this. Talking (or typing) is just my way of trying to ask for some friends to look to for dietary habits - what foods will help me make better choices. I guess I'm just asking for someone to remind me how to stay on the proverbial bike this time. Great suggestions! Thank you again!

    my suggestion is to find some pals with a similar calorie goal who have open diaries.

    you can eat whatever you like, as long as its fits your calories!

    also, start walking, even if its only 5 minutes per day to begin with, but start making exercise a habitual part of your day/week.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,130 Member
    I will also add that it helped me in the beginning to pre-log a day that fits my goals and that I would enjoy eating. I played around with the foods/amounts/protein levels/calories until I reached an "ideal" day that seemed a) doable on an ongoing basis and b) fits my calorie goals. This can be your starting point and then you can tweak things as you go.

    Sometimes just getting started with making new choices can be overwhelming.
  • DSNStratos
    DSNStratos Posts: 8 Member
    Hey... Been reading a ton of these posts over the years and finally decided to jump in. Great group of supportive people! I wish you the best with reaching your goals.

    I'm a guy who LOVES to eat, but have managed to get my weight down to 200 lbs at 6'2" and stuck it there, within 10 pounds or so using more or less one eating technique for the last 30 years - stir fry. I won't bore the list with details on the what and how of it (you can do it right, or wrong), unless anyone is interested...

    Good luck - you can totally do this.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    I'd say that you may not feel like you can "exercise" but you can probably try to increase just *moving* your body. It won't feel like exercise, but there are health benefits just from *not sitting* that you can start realizing now. Don't sit on the couch all night - set a timer for every 30 minutes and get up, walk around the living room, to the bedroom and back. Stand up for all the commercial breaks and walk around the room. Just *move*. You may feel ridiculous and like you're not "doing" anything, but even doing that has health benefits over just sitting and waiting to be "small enough" to "work out."
  • GettingBackToIt88
    GettingBackToIt88 Posts: 4 Member
    uprisingman wrote: »
    Thank you for the response. I have been putting this off for quite some time. I would like to stay more engaged this time around. I agree that CICO is the best way to look at this. Talking (or typing) is just my way of trying to ask for some friends to look to for dietary habits - what foods will help me make better choices. I guess I'm just asking for someone to remind me how to stay on the proverbial bike this time. Great suggestions! Thank you again!

    Speaking from experience, we can only keep ourselves from going off track. Squashing that inner voice that keeps us on the couch and making bad food choices. You can do anything you want to do! Sometimes we have to stop think about doing it and as Nike says Just Do It. LOL

    I was obese for most of my adult life. When I finally, decided I was going to get healthy instead of wanting to lose the weight. I changed one bad habit for a good habit every month. One meal at a time. Small changes add up to huge losses. Good Luck to you!
  • uprisingman
    uprisingman Posts: 16 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    my suggestion is to find some pals with a similar calorie goal who have open diaries.

    you can eat whatever you like, as long as its fits your calories!

    also, start walking, even if its only 5 minutes per day to begin with, but start making exercise a habitual part of your day/week.

    Great point. Making a good habit begins with an honest effort every day. I think I can make that happen. Thank you for the kind words.
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
    My advice:

    Do not tell yourself no. I've "dieted" in the past and would restrict myself from eating certain things I loved and would always fall off the wagon. Now I eat pretty much everything in moderation. If it won't fit into one day's calories I'll just plan for it to be in the next day's calories. So the answer may be "not now" but I never tell myself "no".

    It's not going to happen overnight. I used to struggle so bad with wanting the weight to just come off as much as possible as fast as possible and when my weight loss would slow down I would get discouraged and quit. Realize and accept it's not going to happen overnight and take things a day at a time.

    Make this about you. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in other people's successes and failures (and I've done that myself over the years), but make this about you. Focus on your body, your health, your eating. What works for one person may not work for you and just because someone else fails doesn't mean you will.

    Lastly, be easy on yourself. Don't make this harder than it has to be. There will be days you may go over your calories, there may be days where your eating isn't what you want it to be, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that you keep going.

    And hey, don't worry, you've got this.
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