I hope this isn't just another attempt.

First of all my name is Richard, I'm 34 years old and weigh in at about 440lbs at 6'3. I really need to succeed at losing weight this time around. I have recently been diagnosed with type II diabetes and a fatty liver to go along with my high blood pressure. I'm really kinda lost at this point in my life and need some help. I work in an office where I almost never have to get up out of my chair. I have a beautiful wife and daughter and I can only imagine how my weight is affecting them. I want to be healthy, I want to be able to take a shower without getting out of breath, hell I want to be able to talk without getting out of breath. This is day one, I am needing advice on what to do or what not to do. I am very bad at going in 100% and getting burned out in a couple of weeks. I feel like I have no energy to do much and was wondering if some sort of vitamins would help with that at all with of course some physical activity. One of the biggest problems with my eating is I don't like many vegetables and that hurts when trying to plan a meal. Any advice from you guys would be greatly appreciated. Someone just tell me there is a light at the end of this tunnel and I'll make it.
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Replies

  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    Also, a couple of resources that are really helping me are the book "Smart People Don't Diet" by Charlotte Markey (although she doesn't like calorie tracking long term and clearly I do), and the blog bodyforwife.com (although he's a big exercise plus diet guy, and I'm taking this one sloooooooow step at a time and not worrying about exercise right now).
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    Take pictures so you can have something to post under Success Stories in a year. There are no vitamins or supplements to help you lose weight, but it is often recommended that you take a multivitamin if you are going on a low calorie diet to fill the gap in any nutritional deficiencies you might have.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
    Welcome back! If you arm yourself with the right mindset, you can succeed.

    Here are a few tips that might help:

    1. Weight loss is all about calories in vs. calories out. You can lose weight without ever setting foot in a gym. You can sit at a desk at work all day then go home and sit on the couch and watch Netflix all night and you will STILL LOSE WEIGHT as long as you are at a caloric deficit.

    2. You mention that you get burnt out - you can prevent that by simplifying your weight loss plan. You don't need to even modify your diet - you can just eat smaller quantities of food. There's no need to follow a restrictive diet, or eat salads for every meal... you can keep eating the foods you enjoy and lose weight.

    3. The main difficulties you'll face are mental: lack of motivation and cravings to binge. Your determination comes from within, no amount of tips and tricks from others will help you with this. Seeing a therapist to confront your food issues can help you develop a healthier relationship with food.

    4. Set yourself up with tools to succeed. You already have a MFP account, so that's the first step. The second step is buying a good digital kitchen food scale. They're around $20 on Amazon. They'll help you accurately track your calorie intake to stick to your daily calorie goal. The third step is to track every single day, every bit of food that goes into your mouth. Build the habit!

    5. Calculate your TDEE and eat at a deficit. I like this TDEE calculator: http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/ It will tell you roughly how many calories your body burns based on your activity level. At a Sedentary level, your TDEE is 3500. Simply eat fewer calories than that, and you will lose weight. You could start with a daily deficit of 500 calories - meaning you'd eat 3000 calories a day. That would result in about a pound lost per week, without changing your activity level at all. Eat 2500 calories a day to lose about 2lbs a week. Find the sweet spot where your hunger levels are manageable and you're losing weight fairly consistently. There is nothing wrong with slow and steady - you will avoid burnout that way.

    Hopefully that helps, good luck to you!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    When I started MFP, I started with just logging. I wanted to understand how many calories were in the foods I was eating and I honestly had no idea. Once I had a couple weeks of data, I entered my goals to get a calorie goal that put me at a deficit. Since I was already comfortable with logging, it felt less overwhelming that it might have felt for me otherwise.

    I didn't change anything I ate, but over time I began to notice which meals kept me feeling full and which foods had more calories but were not as satisfying. So over time, my eating style began to change just a bit. It's not very different now, I just eat more of some foods and less of some than I did before.

    You don't *have* to eat vegetables to lose weight, although I certainly think they're a great source of vitamins and fiber. But you can begin without any if that is what you want. Then you can decide if you want to try some new vegetables (or ways to prepare them).

    You don't have to go 100%. In fact, I've noticed that for many people, not changing too much all at once can be a great tool for long-term success.
  • bogwoppt1
    bogwoppt1 Posts: 159 Member
    Good for you for thinking about your family and yourself long term.

    Starting to move is a great place to begin. Ask you wife and child if they will go for a walk with you after dinner each day. Make it a habit, do it daily and do it together. Walk to a park for your little one to play, then walk back. Make it fun, make it family time and make it happen together.

    Log your food. Make small changes. Of course vegetables are healthy, but you will lose weight just cutting back the amounts of whatever it is you normally eat.

    Can you walk up and down the stairs once a day at work? Ask a co worker to join you? Park a little further away from the front door?

    Make tiny steps.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list Use this to find the true facts about calories and nutrient values in foods.

  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,048 Member
    Hi, Richard! I truly believe that small changes, done faithfully and consistently, make the biggest difference in the long run. Lots of great advice here. My "tip" to add is to make one change at a time and stick with it until it's habit or second nature before you undertake more changes. Slow and steady wins the race! Best to you!
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    You've gotten great responses already so just want to chime in and say welcome!
  • chels5988
    chels5988 Posts: 23 Member
    Hi Richard!
    Its a long, sometimes frustrating, road. Youve got a lot of great advice here though!
    I started at 333. Once you start seeing changes in your body, and your life there is no greater motivation to keep going.
    Take lots of progress pictures! Even if you dont want to at the start. I like to look at mine, to keep me going.
    Feel free to send a friend request if you like.
  • Volbeat79
    Volbeat79 Posts: 185 Member
    We have some very knowledgeable people here. I echo everything that's bee said. I started 5 months ago with no exercise at all and just focused on food. I started just walking and built up to walking 4 miles a day. I then added jogging a little at a time. Like said earlier, just bite off a little at a time--quite literally. You would also do well to add everyone here as friends to lean on. Everyone here is very willing to help when asked. Good luck and keep us informed of your progress!
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,319 Member
    Welcome, like others have stated, start small. Even one less soda a day for a week is a big step - just remember one step at a time.

    Also, try not to focus on what you don't like or can't do, but really look at things that you can do and change. I started with just really simple things like making extra trips to the kitchen or bathroom . . . whatever it takes to move, just a little more :) It adds up.

    Change is amazing, we are capable of changes we can't even imagine. I don't even know how I would have reacted if someone told me, one day you will be a gym bunny, go from owning 1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of sneakers to 14 pairs of jeans and 21 pairs of sneakers. That I would rather buy workout clothes over a purse . . . I never saw it coming. I will be 49 in a few days and never saw myself doing push ups or squats and working with weights, etc.. let alone liking brown rice :) (my first time I felt I was being punished by God). You have a wife and daughter that will support you and while sitting all day is a drag (I'm a receptionist) there are still ways to move a little more that doesn't have to be a chore. It can be easy to get distracted so logging is important and rewards can help as well. You have to figure out what will work for you, maybe even making a deal with yourself that you will do something special with your daughter or wife if you eat better for a week - things like that help give you something that is reasonable and attainable.

    I wish you the best.
  • Goober1142
    Goober1142 Posts: 219 Member
    Hi Richard! What kind of food do you like? I'm not big on veggies either, waiting for the new study to come out saying they're bad for you...but until then I fill a blender with spinach, kale, frozen berries protein powder and a banana and it's pretty good.
    Do you like eggs? They're a great diet food, full of protein and keep you full for hours. If you start logging your food and just go for a reasonable deficit, like 500 calories, it's not too hard. The first four days are the worst and after a couple of weeks your body gets used to less food. I find that I have to eat a lot of protein and a good amount of fat or I'm starving. Once you start seeing the numbers on the scale go down it becomes something you want to do and the change is exciting! 100 percent start logging your food. Figure out your daily calories and hang on for four days. Lots of water and just go to bed. It gets easier, I promise!