Seeking Help in Losing 45lbs by November 2017

Faye369 wrote: »

Hi !! You've taken the first step and good on you for that! I have a couple pieces of advice for you.
First - understand that once you start the journey you will get discouraged and will have setbacks and maybe be a shark eating everything in sight - those are the days to remember to not beat yourself up. That's when you need to take a look at your life at that moment, figure out why and acknowledge the step backward then get back on track and eat accordingly the next day.
Second - whatever you are cutting out or cutting back (ie sugar, carbs, etc.) don't do them all at once .. cold turkey is hard! I love chocolate and when I craved would eat a couple king bars ... I weaned myself down to normal size, then fun size, then to the little bitty dark chocolate bites and finally to cocoa nibs. Coffee used to be dble cream, dble sugar .. slow wean now I'm drinking it black no sugar. Remember baby steps.
Third - Find a program that you can live with and fits your schedule and lifestyle that you could do for the rest of your life IF YOU HAVE TO. You can't eat salads, steamed broccoli and chicken breast every day for the rest of your life so as soon as the weight is gone and you resume eating like a normal person, it will come back. I don't deprive myself and eat anything I want but limit the amount. Last May I was stuck on a plateau - had been for about 4 months (SO ANNOYING) .. then I learned about intermittent fasting and the 5:2 strategy. on 2 non-consecutive days you eat about 500 calories then eat normally the other 5 days. It wasn't/isn't as hard as it sounds thanks to casein protein. I'm about 6 lbs away from my goal and when I get there I will go down to 6:1 to maintain.
Fourth - Move ... you don't need to run a marathon ... just move... and the more you move the more you will feel like moving because as pounds slip away, your energy level will increase. Find something you enjoy doing - if it's a chore you are more likely to brush it off and stop.
About me - I am 56 and 5 years ago I found my balance was so bad I couldn't take my sock off without sitting down. It wasn't necessarily from my weight... I have a form of muscular dystrophy that affects my core muscles and limits my ability to rise my arms overhead. I started going to the gym and about 6 months later hired a personal trainer to focus on my quality of life issues. Mobility was my motivation not weight lose. At the time I weighed 219 and was wearing size 15/16. I am now (as of this morning) at 171 and wear size 8/10 and can reach the wine glass on the top shelf and just finished a 5K with a personal best.

You CAN do this !! And I'll be here to help if you want

Thank you so much for your insights! And I want to say GREAT JOB on your achievements! That's so inspirational!

I have improved so much in the not beating myself up aspect. I used to be an all or nothing girl. But I have found that didn't do anything for me but make me become more negative. I have learned to forgive myself, but almost too much, and to the point where "tomorrow" was my excuse almost daily. "tomorrow I will do better", "I will start my lifestyle change tomorrow", " I will work out tomorrow". I have come to realize that Tomorrow needs to start change to "TODAY".

I am still determining what it is I will exactly cut back on. One of the major things I know I need to cut back on is eating out. I used to eat McDonalds breakfast pretty much daily. It was so convenient and fit into my busy morning routine so nicely. I didn't have to worry about making a breakfast or having something on hand. I realized how bad that was and I worked on cutting it out. Its probably been like a year since I've been like that. However it just shifted, now it's the convenience of that after work. I find myself ordering out more now than I did before for dinner, or heck even lunch at work. It's so easy to fall into that when everyone's ordering at work and your like "Oh yeah, QDoba sounds so much better than my boring chicken and sweet potatoes". These are the habits, feelings, and cravings that are killing all any efforts I make. I read so many different nutritional dos and don'ts. I just don't know which is right for me. I thought I would try the MACRO diet, but got overwhelmed by the need to calculate the precise amount of fat/carb/protein. I was always off and had no interest in eating the same thing for the rest of my life day in and day out. Maybe I'm just not educated enough on the method to understand how it really works.

I do like to move. I have a gym membership that for the first time I actually utilize! I try to work out 3x a week, except this past week that I've been struggling with a cold, didn't want to "spread the love" and was having a really hard time with it. I have a problem with PVC's so taking cold medication really makes them act up so I just live with the symptoms. I love to run and I love to challenge myself. I realize that I could push myself a little more and need to work more on my consistency with it. I also have learned that no matter how much I push myself at the gym, I cannot outrun my eating habits. Its just maintaining and not showing the changes I want to see.
Congrats on the 5k personal best! I too just hit my very own personal best on 1/23/17. I hope to keep pushing myself reach that time/goal!

Thanks again for your help and would love to continue to bounce ideas and what not off with you! Maybe even a virtual 5k together!