I NEED SERIOUS HELP

Omg I feel horrible my weight is out of control any help will do! Im freaking huge 278 pounds Im trying to be 165I'm ready for the long rode where do I start?

Big Question what do I eat ? low carb , gluten free ? low calories? 0 calories? high protein? shakes ?
how do i combine that into meals ? Im 22 so i dont do much cooking but ill learn !!! what good ideas for breakfast? besides eggs? lunch besides salad? and dinner i have no idea for that

another question when should i eat ? i know no food after 7 ? but i dont wake up until maybe 12p.m i work 4-12p.m but most times i dont go to be until 4 in the morning cause i get off late then have to catch the bus so when is a good time to eat ? should i do 3 meals or 5 small meals, meanwhile im about to get a second job and be working 16hrs shift so my weight loss is going to be about food so i need serious help.
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Replies

  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    You can do this! Here's my story of how I have made it work so far.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    edited March 2017
    Plug your stats into Mfp and get your calorie goal.

    Eat the foods you normally eat within that calorie goal. Eventually you will learn what's worth eating often and what's only worth eating once in awhile. Keeping in mind an overall balanced nutritious diet.
  • miinanov
    miinanov Posts: 37 Member
    You can literally eat anything, as long as it's within your calorie deficit.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Omg I feel horrible my weight is out of control any help will do! Im freaking huge 278 pounds Im trying to be 165I'm ready for the long rode where do I start?

    Big Question what do I eat ? low carb , gluten free ? low calories? 0 calories? high protein? shakes ?
    how do i combine that into meals ? Im 22 so i dont do much cooking but ill learn !!! what good ideas for breakfast? besides eggs? lunch besides salad? and dinner i have no idea for that

    another question when should i eat ? i know no food after 7 ? but i dont wake up until maybe 12p.m i work 4-12p.m but most times i dont go to be until 4 in the morning cause i get off late then have to catch the bus so when is a good time to eat ? should i do 3 meals or 5 small meals, meanwhile im about to get a second job and be working 16hrs shift so my weight loss is going to be about food so i need serious help.

    A good portion of what you asked about is not needed to lose weight. To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit. How you chose to reach that deficit is up to you, but regardless of how you chose to reach it, calories are king. If you consume too many calories you will not lose weight.

    Low carb is not needed. Gluten free is only needed IF you have a diagnosed medical condition requiring it. Shakes don't teach you much in the long term.

    No reason to stop eating by a certain time. You can eat after 7. As long as you are in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight.
  • fasterpssycat
    fasterpssycat Posts: 30 Member
    I was 320 at one point. I used Weight Watchers to get my portions under control, then did a primal diet. That eventually morphed into reduced sugar, natural carbs, low sugar baked goods. I'm down just over 100 pounds and finally working on the last 60. Now my diet is calorie counting with lean protein and a 45C/35P/25F macro goal, 1400 calories a day for 2 pound a week loss. I find eating whole foods makes it easy to stay at my calorie target because it takes so much more of them to get calorie density. I use vegan protein powders and protein bars to get more protein in because I have a hard time hitting that macro.

    I am a later eater. I now eat breakfast within and hour or so of waking up, then I just kind of eat when I get time throughout the day. One of the things that have helped is making smoothies up in big batches and freezing them in mason jars. I take one down the night before, add my almond milk, protein powder, and PB2. Throw them in my bag with a blender ball and it's good to go when I need it. I also eat a lot of hard-boiled eggs. My diary is public if you want to look for ideas.

    The best plan is one that works for you well enough to stick with it. You can do this!!
  • gamommy
    gamommy Posts: 131 Member
    You eat what you want to eat, when you want to eat - so long as it's in your calorie goal. You will learn over time what foods satiate you more/longer that fit into your goal.

    You don't have to follow a specific diet, especially if you're going for a lifestyle change. The higher the protein, the more full you feel though. So if you have chicken & rice - try eating the chicken before the rice (instead of with it) and stop when you feel full.

    Maybe for the first week, you should log everything you eat without "watching" what you eat - just get an idea of where you are and how much you are consuming now. Then try to make changes accordingly.
  • johnw83
    johnw83 Posts: 6,219 Member
    you can do this I will help u please add me
  • bee_bee8
    bee_bee8 Posts: 96 Member
    The number one rule that applies to everyone trying to lose weight is simply to burn more calories than you consume. Everything else will depend on what works for you, personally. If you absolutely love carbs, eat carbs. If you can't sacrifice sugar, eat sugar. As long as you burn more calories than you consume, you'll lose weight.

    I recommend looking through these forums to get more specific advice, lots of helpful stuff in here. Aside from that, a good first step is just to get in the habit of logging all your food. Seeing how many calories you're taking in can be shocking at first, but when you see it all written out it becomes easier to make healthier choices.

    The next early step you should take is learn to cook some things. I was never (and am still not really) a cook, I could barely make scrambled eggs. But there is so much you can eat that's super easy to prepare, just do some Google searches or check out Pinterest for easy and healthy recipes. On that same note, find some healthy snack foods you like (some of my go-tos are popcorn and cereal).

    The most important thing to remember as you begin your journey is to be patient and stay positive. Even if progress seems slow, try not to get discouraged. Learning to be healthy is a lifelong skill, and the habits you build now will set you up for success in the future. Good luck!
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    edited March 2017
    bee_bee8 wrote: »
    The next early step you should take is learn to cook some things. I was never (and am still not really) a cook, I could barely make scrambled eggs. But there is so much you can eat that's super easy to prepare, just do some Google searches or check out Pinterest for easy and healthy recipes. On that same note, find some healthy snack foods you like (some of my go-tos are popcorn and cereal).

    I don't think "eat whatever you want/whatever you've been eating" is very practical for you, because that's what got you where you are now. Just eating less of the same foods is probably going to leave you hungry. I think you'll do better if you rotate in some lower-calorie, healthier foods. That way you can eat plenty of food without going over your calorie limit.

    The suggestion of learning to prepare food is really helpful. It doesn't have to be complicated stuff - even preparing fresh fruits and vegetables or making a soup will help. Including plenty of vegetables and some fruit in your menu will help too. You can still eat as much as you need to eat so you're not hungry, and it will be more sustainable for you. You will probably also feel better.

    Also, I agree that when you eat isn't very important. Whatever works for you. The one suggestion I'd make is not to let yourself get too hungry.

    By the way, there's some really helpful advice here. If you haven't read it, have a look.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358238/what-other-factors-besides-nutrition-help-you-succeed#latest

    Welcome, and best of luck to you! :)

  • CTcutie
    CTcutie Posts: 649 Member
    Don't over think this process, but do educate yourself by reading the stickied threads!!
    Have some fun trying new foods/learn to cook something delicious! It's not about oatmeal & salads. Look at some open diaries to see what others eat for ideas, too.
  • crb426
    crb426 Posts: 652 Member
    As others have said, eat what you want as long as you stay under your calorie goal. You will naturally want to tailor your foods to be more filling and nutritionally strong with fewer calories, that way you can eat more volume and still feel strong.

    A few of my favorites:
    Breakfast:
    -English muffin, one egg, one slice deli ham, 1/3 slice american cheese
    -1/3 cup (measured dry) Oatmeal with 2tsp brown sugar, & a handful of blueberries

    Lunch:
    -3 cups romaine, 1/2 avocado, 2 oz grilled chicken breast, 1 tbsp ranch dressing

    Dinner:
    -3-5 oz protein (fish, pork, chicken, steak), 1 cup brown rice, big side of veggies (green beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus, etc)
    -2 or 3 tacos with lots of lettuce (or break one taco up over a bed of lettuce and add a tbsp of dressing)

    Snacks:
    -Various 100-200 calorie choices (cheese sticks, packet of tuna, greek yogurt, whole fruit, granola bars)

    Other advice:
    -Weigh everything you eat with a food scale so you know exactly how many calories you are eating (I gave measurements, but you need to weigh those measurements unless they are liquid).
    -Log all of your food in the morning so you know what you're eating for the day. If you mess up, and eat a donut at work, you can change your dinner plans to account for it.
    -Exercise will help, but it's not necessary for weight loss.
    -Don't try to lose too much too quickly. You will get loose skin but you may also be more likely to crash and burn.

    Otherwise, you got this. Keep researching and keeping yourself on track.
  • cwagar123
    cwagar123 Posts: 195 Member
    Yep... What they said.
    I started around 260 lbs and am this morning 188. Just eat at a deficit and it will come off
    You've got this
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Phew! Calm down... a lot of what you had questions about are diet fads and myths and nonsense that's been put out to people trying to lose weight. No wonder you're so worried because you're so afraid you'll do something wrong.

    As others have said, this site works on calorie deficit. There are some pretty common sense guidelines on macros like proteins and carbs and things like limiting sodium. How you meet your goals and such are entirely up to you. There are some tips and guidelines the community will gladly help you with.

    Some people just freak out when they don't know what to eat. This program does not tell you.

    A not so bad step is to simply eat as you have been eating for at least a few days. (Yes, really.) Then you look at what you ate, how much, and how it stacks up against your goals. If you can figure out how many calories you overeat, or that you tend to eat a lot more carbs than you should, or that dinner you ate on Tuesday had a LOT more calories than you realized...then you start to know where to change. Or what not to change, too. :)

    Same with exercise (or not).

    You are going to make mistakes, it's part of the learning process. It's OK. The nice thing about not having someone tell you what to eat is that you need to think things out and LEARN. And that empowers you to make the best decisions.

    Oh, and eat after 7? of course you can. Your body doesn't shut off at 7. That's silly.

  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    There's no time cut off for eating. There is a calorie cut off though. Stick to that and you'll do fine.
  • Etsar73
    Etsar73 Posts: 260 Member
    I feel a little sad reading your post because you remind me of myself before I started MFP and counting calories. I read all the articles that said carbs are bad, fat is bad, clean eating is the only way to go, processed food is bad, don't eat this or that, eat lots of times a day, you have to exercise to lose weight, don't eat after 6, you must eat breakfast or you will put on weight, set weight, fad diet this and fad diet that.... so exhausting when I think about it now! I totally fell for each and every one of these at some point in my life. This kind of talk makes me a little upset actually because it kept me from losing weight for soooooo long. I would be doing things that didn't suit my eating times and lifestyle. I could never sustain anything for very long.

    The only rules I follow now are to record and weigh everything I eat on a scale, and try not to eat over my daily calorie allowance. I also don't keep certain foods in the house because if it's there I eat it all. If I want it and crave it then I have to make the effort to go and get it (this gives me time to think if it is worth the effort and calories). If I eat out then I estimate on the higher end.

    I eat what I want and when I want (mostly healthy but including some processed and 'junk' foods). I only have a coffee for breakfast, eat a small lunch (about 11) and a huge dinner (about 5) because that suits how I like to eat. I eat little snacky things way into the night (dark chocolate is my wake up in the middle of the night snack). I even eat again at like 11pm if I am really hungry and count it for the next days calories. I make things up as I go, so long as it fits the calories over the week.

    You learn to make better choices like bulking up meals with vegetables, keeping certain foods out of the house, using less oil, adding less sugar (or no sugar) etc. I don't exercise but I have a fairly busy job (not at a desk).
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    Learn how to accurately record everything you eat in the food diary. That's all you have to do. Once you are accurately recording, you start learning. Once you start learning, you start deciding. The decisions are yours to make.
  • kq1981
    kq1981 Posts: 1,098 Member
    Read these forums, log everything you eat, learn what works and what doesn't and don't put pressure on yourself. Sure we all want to be skinny tomorrow but time, patience and dedication is key. Slow and steady. Good luck!!