192lbs to lose!

keg61990
keg61990 Posts: 5 Member
Hi everyone!

Yesterday I hit my highest weight of 332. Not a proud moment. My cycle is gaining and losing large amounts of weight, and I'm beginning to work on how to break that cycle. It has been a few years since I have really tried to eat healthy and lose weight, due to college. But now that I am a newly graduated nurse it's time to put myself first. Does anyone have advice on how to begin again?

Height: 5'5"
SW: 332
CW: 332
GW: 140...or anything under 200 for now

Replies

  • aliyune
    aliyune Posts: 23 Member
    Hey there! I have one semester of nursing school left. It's been really hard doing that overweight!! I'd say surround yourself with as many people as you can that have health goals. Adding people here on mfp can be a great motivation! Good luck and congrats on graduating :)
  • MaddMaestro
    MaddMaestro Posts: 405 Member
    My advice is learning to - or start making time for cooking. Home cooked meals are a great start since they're low in calories and are plenty more healthy for you.
  • angellew918
    angellew918 Posts: 13 Member
    Add me... im in the same weight group as you and looking for motivation... also have my daughter on here. Trying to get her moving in the right direction and not take after me
  • andyzee69
    andyzee69 Posts: 193 Member
    Think I sent you a friend request. If not feel free to add me
  • meganrrodriguez3
    meganrrodriguez3 Posts: 21 Member
    You can add me. I'm looking for friends to motivate me and to help each other out.
  • keg61990
    keg61990 Posts: 5 Member
    Thank you everyone! It's nice to hear the advice and support.
  • ThatWonderGal
    ThatWonderGal Posts: 8 Member
    Add me as well! I have to lose 150+
  • lvlagnumJack
    lvlagnumJack Posts: 5 Member
    Water fasting somewhere in this journey might be helpful.
    Not extreme but will help.
  • highlightshadow
    highlightshadow Posts: 116 Member
    Focus as much on the mental change as the weight .... If you don't start to understand the why the triggers and getting into a new mindset it becomes hard when you inevitably hit a stumbling block

    We've all been there ... bad day at work, someone says something unkind ... whatever it is ... and the consequences (reaching for that one food item that makes you feel better).... but we all know its a hollow 'better' really ... so focus on 'today' ... don't worry about the long-term goals... this isn't a straight smooth line of progress... its a lumpy bumpy twisty road.

    I've spent 6 months on my road so far and i'm still on it ... and yes - its been hard at times... have i cracked? Sure ... but its realising that it is a moment ... nothing more ... nothing less. I don't deny myself - if i want to go out for a meal i will ... and i will thoroughly enjoy it ... and that's that ... will it mean i don't lose that week, maybe ... but the 'cost' was a good time and enjoyment. So its a price worth paying from time to time..

    Alas we all know its more fun putting it on than taking it off (and quicker too!) just don't be in a hurry ... slow and steady

    Just my 2p / 2c :)
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    Do what works for you. Don't try to lose too fast and find an eating and exercise plan you can stick with for the rest of your life. I have battled my weight my whole life but a year and a half ago I decided to get serious. I have lost 83 pounds on MFP and 20 before that. I have 10 to go. I started slow with exercise just walking because I was so out of shape. I still only walk but I take more strenuous routes and walk longer than when I started. Make sure you log all your food no matter what you eat. This is a process and in order to lose and keep it off you have to be able to live with it for the rest of your life. Throw away the idea this is something you are doing just till you lose the weight. When you reach maintenance you may get some calories back but you can never eat the way you did before. I feel great and my tastes have changed but it took a long time to get here. It was worth evey step of the journey. Every pound you lose will make you feel better. Take your time and learn everything you can along the way. Good luck!
  • poisonesse
    poisonesse Posts: 573 Member
    My advice is... lose the nay-sayers, surround yourself with supporters, and remember one important thing... you CAN do this! Add me as a supporter! ;-)
  • MattDelR
    MattDelR Posts: 18 Member
    edited July 2017
    Water fasting somewhere in this journey might be helpful.
    Not extreme but will help.

    Fully agree. A lot of people demonize it, but I did it about 17 years ago. Healthiest I have ever been. I only recently started reading about it and learning even more about the benefits.



    Keg61990, YOU have to want this. It's as simple as that. No one can do it for you and there are no shortcuts. It will be hard, but worth every drop of sweat and every counted calorie. If you really want it and can kick some a.s.s, keep reading! (of course you can)

    Here's my story, hopefully you can gain (or lose.... get it? lol ) something from it:

    I had been overweight all my life until one day about 17 years ago. I was finally fed up enough to do something about it. That day I started counting calories, eating healthier and trying to run. I couldn't really run, so we'll more accurately call it "walking with exaggerated arm and leg movements". LOL I absolutely HATED running and I was embarrassed of how I looked and how slow I was so I would wake up at 4 am and do it before most people were awake. Little by little I got a tiny bit faster and went a little bit further. Even though I hated it, I knew it was good for me so I stuck with it. A few years later I was running 10 miles a day because I actually enjoyed it. Crazy! It becomes very therapeutic.

    Within 6 months I went from 275# to 145#. I had never heard of counting macros, only calories, so that's what I did.

    To lose 130 pounds that quickly, I ended up fasting most days and when I did eat, it was almost entirely vegetables, fruit, fish and chicken. It's always been known these foods are healthier for us, so that's what I ate.

    Most eating days were only around 300-800 calories though with higher calorie days occasionally mixed in when I just couldn't function. I usually ate only one meal. I called it "Linner" (lunch/dinner) in the mid-late afternoon. I also drank tons and tons and TONS of water, which is critical for elasticity of the skin and also keeps your body functioning and keeps you full so you don't feel like you're starving. (do have to be careful because you can drink too much, but you can tell when you don't want to drink more). Some days I drank up to 3 gallons when it was hot as hell and I worked out for hours on end. Most days about 1-2 gallons though.

    When I had a check up at the end of the diet, my doctor said I was healthy as a horse. She was impressed how fast I got into great health. So much for needing to eat a minimum of 1200 calories a day, most days I had zero. Never had loose skin and didn't get skinny fat (didn't get shredded either, but very athletic).

    I kept that weight off for about 11 years.

    After some injuries, getting older, lazier and eating poorly for a few years, the bad eating and inactivity caught up to me again. I realized my weight had ballooned back up to 267# and I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I didn't want to go on meds so I made an immediate change last July. Blood glucose numbers were consistently in the high 200's. Now I am generally between 90-105 with very little fluctuation even after eating. I'm 193# now with about 30 more pounds to drop. Can't kick my hiney/work out the way I used to, so I've had to focus more on nutrition with light exercise/weight training.

    In any case my point is, weight loss is energy in, energy out. Very simple. You can lose weight eating twinkies if you cut calories (it's been done). The real question though will always be: Are you healthy?

    If you want to be healthy, take in clean fuel (whole foods).

    In this last year I have used LCHF, LCHP, and now I go with 40%C, 25%F and 35%P....it all works! The only part that really matters is that you have a caloric deficit and try to eat real food not processed garbage.

    I am now committed to make sure I'm healthy forever, not just skinny. So I will always focus on clean, whole foods.
    The bulk of my diet is leafy green salads and a mix of vegetables (eat the rainbow of veggies and fruit), I especially like raw broccoli, after veggies comes a lot of venison, fish, chicken, nuts, seeds and homemade peanut butter and jelly. (I make it so I control whats in it)

    Remember, even though it can taste amazing and be a real treat, food is nothing more than fuel. If you want to be truly healthy, take in clean fuels. Don't get wrapped up in high carb or low carb....a lot of people demonize carbs now a days, but it's all about the source of the carb. Eating tons of carbs can be great, as long as it's NOT in the form of simple refined sugars, especially while overweight! That's a recipe for type 2 diabetes. Ask me how I know. lol

    If God forbid you have or get diabetes, you can get rid of it by fasting and eliminating processed garbage. I'm not the only person to do that, people far worse off than me have done the same. Meds are not the answer.


    To promote fat loss and stabilize my blood sugar I now fast 22-23 hours per day. Around 6pm each day I have an hour (sometimes two) window of eating and I stuff myself with clean fuel until I don't want to see food again that day. It's extremely difficult to get calories over 2000 doing this and my weight goes down almost every single day. Most days I take in around 1000-1300, but take in over 2000 when I weight train.

    A 16/8 schedule of intermittent fasting is a great start if you go down that road. I think it's a lot easier to control your calories (and macros if you care) on 1-2 meals than 3-6. I also like to eat one big meal because it makes me satisfied. Eating numerous small meals never works for me. Once I eat, it triggers hunger and I can be ravenous. So I end up overeating the rest of the day. This way I just gorge myself once and don't want to see food for a week. I'm honestly never even hungry by the end of the day but it's a nice mental reward to eat.

    As for water fasting, some people act like you're killing yourself, but our bodies are way smarter than that. If you're very overweight, you have fuel/nutrients stored all over you. Your body stored it there during times of excess for times of famine. You've lived in the excess, time for some famine. With fuel stored all over your body, you really don't need to keep filling the tank. Start off slow though. Don't expect a 10 day fast your first time. Start with
    a light schedule of intermittent fasting first, then try a 24 hour fast, then a 48, etc. Break them up. I like doing a 2-3 day fast once per month now.

    Should you embark on fasting or even intermittent fasting, please be sensible, careful and have someone keep an eye on you. At minimum take your Blood Pressure, Blood Glucose and Resting Heart Rate before you start and every few days. Our bodies are pretty good at self-regulating (homeostasis) but if you don't feel well or numbers get bad, break the fast with small easy to digest meals. The ultimate goal is always health, not smaller jeans, they are merely a byproduct.

    We reach our goals by crushing obstacles and embracing defeats. There will be setbacks along this journey, they should only motivate us to work harder! We never lose if we never give up!


    YOU CAN DO THIS! Kick a.s.s!!!!


  • JulieSHelms
    JulieSHelms Posts: 821 Member
    I think your first move is to determine to stop the cycles. It's probably healthier to maintain your current weight than it is to keep yo-yo-ing. Then when you decide you are ready to lose, realize it is a lifestyle change and not a diet. Until that actually sinks in, it's just a diet, and the weight will bounce back on you.

    Then cut calories. Do it a little so it's not uncomfortable, or do it big so you see immediate results. Either way will get you to your goal--YOU have to figure out what works for YOU, and will work forever.

    A big help to me was to set mini-goals. So instead of saying "UGh, I have 100+ lbs to lose" I would just look at 10 lbs to lose, and then I got a reward (a new shirt, that plate of pasta I'd denied myself for two months etc). 10 lbs was always within reach so never got overwhelming. And then one day, I noticed they were adding up to a LOT of weight lost!

    For me, I loved MFP because recording what I ate is what made me realize how much I was actually eating and how much I needed to cut out. I lost a 136 lbs (300-164) and am at maintenance now. And I plan to keep on recording.

    You can do this. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise (including yourself!). :smiley:
  • deteriminedAMY
    deteriminedAMY Posts: 22 Member
    Add me! I just had gastric sleeve surgery 3 weeks ago and have 100+ pounds to loose. I too have gone through bouts of loosing and gaining large amounts of weight several times in my life but with some health issues, this time I had surgery. I'm just beginning ... so we can do this together :)
  • AFGP11
    AFGP11 Posts: 142 Member
    I always yo-yoed a lot until I figured out that it isn't a sprint but a marathon. I only eat at a 10% deficit under the calories I would need to maintain my weight. Yes, the weight comes off slower, but I am never deprived or hungry the way I was when I tried to lose as much as possible. Also a lot of people here will tell you that exercise is not necessary for weight loss and they are correct. That said, if you exercise, you will have two advantages over not doing so. 1. You will lose less muscle mass as you lose weight but will still lose fat. 2. You can eat a few more calories on the days you do exercise. I won't lie, there are days that an extra piece of pizza is the only thing that motivates me to get into the gym, but it works for me.

    The other thing I've done differently this time around (lost 60 since childbirth and now working on the last 20lbs) is make sure that my routine is something that I both enjoy and do not feel overwhelmed with. A few years ago I tried doing a strict paleo diet. I lose a bit of weight, but I was miserable and sad about all the things I couldn't enjoy. Now I eat a pretty standard diet, though I try to get in a lot of vegetables. If everyone is having pizza, I have some as well, but maybe only one or two slices. It's manageable for me that way and I still get to enjoy food. I also make sure I have tunes I love when I hit the gym to workout and that I keep my weight lifting and running exciting so that I am not getting bored and stagnant.

    Just a few tips. The first week is absolutely the worst part because it takes time for your body to adjust. My top advice is take it slow and focus on losing inches, not weight. The number on the scale is really deceptive sometimes. Taking pictures about once a month to chart my progress has been a lifesaver on days when I can't see results on the scale. You can do this!
  • Muzyka2007
    Muzyka2007 Posts: 9 Member
    Ok so this is ALL new to me but I am ready for a change!

    I am at my all time high 341.6 (lost 6 pounds in the last month). Over the last year I have gained 39 pounds...I want to cry right now! I want to get down to at least 200 (220 would be good too). My issue is 14 years ago I was involved in a bad wreck that broke my ankle (I have a plate and 8 screws in my left ankle) and broke my femur (a rod there). Working out is hard...I know if I lost weight the pain would go but after a few days of a simple workout (biking and treadmill in a gym) I am so much pain...I try to push through but the pain get so unbearable I just want to breakdown! I have no one that wants to consistently work out with me to push me (my son has gone with 2 times in the last month. My family tries to encourage me but I hate always going alone.

    I truly feel if I set lower goals like get below 300 then aim to get to 275 etc is better then saying I have 141 pounds to lose...I think that is why I give up so easy too! I know losing the weight is possible...I just sometime wish it would happen faster or something would happen so I can see the work is paying off!
  • MattDelR
    MattDelR Posts: 18 Member
    Lots of great advice.

    I know I already chimed in here, but I wanted to touch upon some key things I used to keep weight off for years.

    - All the small things add up. Never think that one tiny decision or action is too small to bother with. The tiniest sands make up the biggest beaches. Everything makes a difference. Just do something, anything and stick with the things you enjoy.

    - Exercise can be fun. Do the activities you enjoy more often and maybe adopt some new ones. Running became a part of my life and I also enjoyed doing pushups and pullups (not crunches though, lol) , but I would also spend way more time hiking, hunting, fishing, taking walks with a camera, etc. All of that made up the bulk of my activity, far more calories were burned doing hours of things I loved to do than simply exercising. Make time for the fun parts of life and you will be more active without even thinking about it.

    - Train at home. If you do decide to actually work out, try it at home first. To this day, I have never set foot in a gym (well once a long time ago when a pretty girl I worked with invited me). I am not a gym person...can't picture going there. I like to be outdoors. I have some heavy weights at home (outside and I do it rain or shine, winter too) and I hike with my dog every day (she's a husky with more energy than a nuclear facility so most days are really far and steep, but at least one hike per day and sometimes its short and easy). I also do some pushups, pullups, crunches, mt. climbers, burpees, etc. Just whenever...I enjoy it and I have no excuses because I can do everything right here and most of it anywhere. I don't burn myself out of it either though. If I don't feel like working out for a few days, I just rest or do other activities like what I mentioned above. Some days I just feel like doing a few pushups....Great. Drop and do them. No real rhyme or reason has to be given. I have extra energy, good, spend it cause I don't want it in my fat bank.

    - I believe IF (intermittent fasting) is a great way to keep your calories under control for the long term (forever). Eating one or two meals a day makes it tough to hit high caloric numbers (unless you eat pure junk). The 11 years I kept my weight off, I did something like IF but a little different. I would eat a small breakfast, no lunch and a decent dinner. Maybe it won't work for everyone, but it works very well for me and the few people I've turned on to it. We're taught from small kids that we have to eat all our meals. It's such horse-honk. We eat excess because it's "customary" to eat BLD. Most of our eating is done because we are bored and think we're hungry, or we know it's "time to eat". Try it, skip breakfast one day and stay active and busy until a late lunch or dinner, your mind will want to eat and you'll think about it if you arent busy, but your body isn't really going to be hungry. (at least thats how it is for myself and others that I've talked to)


    - Only drink water or at least make that your main fluid. When I was badly injured and got depressed, I added soda and sweet tea back in (along with other junk food).... I felt ill at first but then got addicted, I also got fat really fast. Sugar is in everything now and it's like a drug. Now water is my only fluid again and I feel a lot better. The healthier you eat and drink, the better you feel and the happier you are.

    -It's life, not a diet and exercise camp and it should never feel like a job. You're just trying to be the healthiest, best YOU that you can be. Do it for yourself, or maybe your kids, or your wife or husband, just find some reason that drives you to be the best YOU and never stop improving. Even when we have setbacks, we just pick our self up, learn and keep moving forward. Do at least one small thing every day that works towards your goals and eventually you get where you want to go.

    I feel like I have to say it one more time though....because really it is the little things that add up. Just that simple drive and love for yourself to be better is where it all lives. Be the best you can be....because life is fun!!!

    I can't speak for anyone else, but I want to be here as long as I can and I want to enjoy all that time here! I don't want to be on meds or unable to keep active or hooked up to machines because I didn't stay healthy.

    Go do it!


  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    My heaviest was over 350lbs. I say over, and not an exact number because my scale only goes to 350.
    I had to overhaul my lifestyle. Diets don't work, they really don't. You have to change in order to change. It's not that hard once you get started.
    At first it will be difficult, but give yourself one month of learning how to eat correctly, then eat correctly. 30 days will turn a change into a habit. Then do the same for working out, 1 month. You will develop the habit of working out. At first I was nervous about going to a gym, after two days I realized - no one cared. No one stared, no one judged, people go there for themselves.
    I am currently at 188lbs and at 28% bodyfat. I went from a 3X to a 31 in juniors. It just takes time and persistence.
  • manhnguyen123
    manhnguyen123 Posts: 40 Member
    Feel free to add me and ask me anything
  • meganrrodriguez3
    meganrrodriguez3 Posts: 21 Member
    Muzyka2007 wrote: »
    Ok so this is ALL new to me but I am ready for a change!

    I am at my all time high 341.6 (lost 6 pounds in the last month). Over the last year I have gained 39 pounds...I want to cry right now! I want to get down to at least 200 (220 would be good too). My issue is 14 years ago I was involved in a bad wreck that broke my ankle (I have a plate and 8 screws in my left ankle) and broke my femur (a rod there). Working out is hard...I know if I lost weight the pain would go but after a few days of a simple workout (biking and treadmill in a gym) I am so much pain...I try to push through but the pain get so unbearable I just want to breakdown! I have no one that wants to consistently work out with me to push me (my son has gone with 2 times in the last month. My family tries to encourage me but I hate always going alone.

    I truly feel if I set lower goals like get below 300 then aim to get to 275 etc is better then saying I have 141 pounds to lose...I think that is why I give up so easy too! I know losing the weight is possible...I just sometime wish it would happen faster or something would happen so I can see the work is paying off!

    I've got some pain in my feet and lower back. I swim for my exercise. Low impact and I'm not hurting. If you have access to a pool I definitely recommend that. I'm heavy so like an hour and a half burns almost 1000 calories.
  • Muzyka2007
    Muzyka2007 Posts: 9 Member
    I have heard that before Megan! I need to see if I can find a local pool that I can try that! Maybe alternate between gym and pool! :smile:
  • BanannaFrench
    BanannaFrench Posts: 1 Member
    Just really starting out myself after getting tired of that same sort of cycle. Currently at my highest weight for myself as well at 257. Feel free to add me.
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
    Focus as much on the mental change as the weight .... If you don't start to understand the why the triggers and getting into a new mindset it becomes hard when you inevitably hit a stumbling block

    We've all been there ... bad day at work, someone says something unkind ... whatever it is ... and the consequences (reaching for that one food item that makes you feel better).... but we all know its a hollow 'better' really ... so focus on 'today' ... don't worry about the long-term goals... this isn't a straight smooth line of progress... its a lumpy bumpy twisty road.

    I've spent 6 months on my road so far and i'm still on it ... and yes - its been hard at times... have i cracked? Sure ... but its realising that it is a moment ... nothing more ... nothing less. I don't deny myself - if i want to go out for a meal i will ... and i will thoroughly enjoy it ... and that's that ... will it mean i don't lose that week, maybe ... but the 'cost' was a good time and enjoyment. So its a price worth paying from time to time..

    Alas we all know its more fun putting it on than taking it off (and quicker too!) just don't be in a hurry ... slow and steady

    Just my 2p / 2c :)

    I agree that the mental change is as important as the physical change, but unless you know for sure that situations trigger you to eat then I do not think it is necessary to focus on that. I may be weird but I focused, and still focus, on my goal, which is to lose weight and be the healthiest that I can be. I think you really have to find a good plan that works for you and commit to it. You have to have a laser like focus on what you are doing and why you are doing it.
    I will not argue that it maybe necessary to work through some of your issues, if you have any, but it really comes down to the desire to lose weight and valuing yourself enough to commit and stick to it.

    BTW what is water fasting? I have never heard of that.
  • TheJourneyToFabulous
    TheJourneyToFabulous Posts: 381 Member
    Welcome. You can do this, you will have hard times and times you want to give up but you will reach your goals. A scale I would recommend! Logging as accurately as possible, allow the odd treat. I've worked out how I can fit all that into my weekly goals now.

    Try not to get hung up on the scales they will fluctuate and take measurements!

    I start at 290 in January I am currently at 247 and goal is 140. Feel free to add me