Just back from wedding, need to change

carnsd34
carnsd34 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just registered here after reading a lot of the forum today. Long story short, I was at a wedding over the weekend and have realised now that things need to change. My clothes were tighter than they've been in a long time and upon seeing photos that have been posted I am ashamed of how I have let myself go and currently. I weighed myself when I got up this morning and I am just under 18 stone (248.75lbs) which is not acceptable. I'm only 5'11 too.

I'm going to start training and cutting out the rubbish I eat in an immediate change to shake things up. Luckily I'm off work for the next fortnight so I can really make an effort to get into a routine which I gather is the hardest part. I'm going to do a mix of weights at home/cycling/walking to start and then re-assess how I am doing come the end of the month.

I have photos I have taken of myself this morning but I'm unsure of putting them up. I'm guessing they could act as motivation to myself and hopefully ensure I stick to my changes though.


I don't really have a set date/ultimate weight I want to achieve but I guess 14 stone would be a decent target long term. Ideally I just start to look and feel better but I realise this will take time. If I can feel better about myself by December then I'll be happy and can then look further ahead towards next summer

Replies

  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    Welcome to MFP!

    Have you entered your stats and had MFP calculate your daily calorie goal? That's the best place to start.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    Congratulations on being ready for a change! There's a lot of great resources here and it sounds like you're mostly just saying hello for now so I won't drown you in advice, but feel free to ask questions as you move along. I know people use different strategies to keep motivated and I'm sure you'll figure out for yourself what works. Just remember - this is a marathon, not a sprint! Good luck!
  • carnsd34
    carnsd34 Posts: 2 Member
    edited August 2017
    I'm working on that atm along with planning my meals (Should be easier without work to worry about for the next couple of weeks).

    Whilst I'm doing it, here's the photos I took earlier today. Hopefully they motivate me

    Rb7sxRT.jpg

    As you can see, I have a bit of a journey ahead of me
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
    I think you'll like using MFP. Be sure to set up your goals and then start tracking your calories, you're certain to see success. Keep taking those progress photos, you'll be glad you did. (I didn't because I was too embarrassed at my higher weight, but wish I had. It's hard to see the subtle day to day changes) Get yourself a soft measuring tape and write down your current waist, hip, chest measurements. Some people measure their thighs and biceps, too. When I didn't see a lot of downward movement on the scale, I was happy to see I'd lost some circumference at the waist and hips. Good luck!
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    You will be glad you came here. When I started logging I quickly came to realize that I was badly overeating consistently. Once I corrected my portions and stayed in deficit I started seeing results. I switched to better quality foods and added exercise too. My cholesterol went down fifty points, blood pressure in normal, insomnia cured and snoring reduced. Snoring was completely gone but I put twenty pounds back on. It is time to get them back off I guess.
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    You're in the right place! Make healthy choices and log everything, eat less than you burn, and you'll lose the weight!
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    Welcome!

    Keep in mind that all you need to do to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than your body needs. You can lose weight without ever lifting a weight. Exercise is wonderful for gaining muscle and maintaining your health, but weight loss can be entirely achieved through diet. Just something to keep in mind. :)

    The most important investment you should make is a digital kitchen scale. With a scale, you can accurately measure your calorie intake (that means weighing EVERYTHING you eat!) and stick to a calorie deficit.

    MFP can calculate your recommended calorie deficit based on your weight, age, and height, or you can do it yourself with a TDEE calculator on a website. Up to you.

    Choose a sustainable deficit where you don't feel ravenous and faint all the time. A few stomach grumbles are to be expected, but if your deficit is too high you will be more likely to feel like crap, get too hungry and binge. A modest deficit will mean slower weight loss but more a more sustainable way of living.

    Another tip: calories are all that matter. You can lose weight only eating MacDonald's if you want. There's no reason to go paleo, keto, vegan, etc. Just eat your favourite foods in smaller quantities.

    Weight loss is simple. It's not easy, but it's simple. Good luck!
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    DON'T do a 180. People that try it fail 90% of the time. I always tell clients to start out easy.......................eat smaller portions first. Learn how to do that and then IF you want to, you can start exchanging foods around. And for working out, same thing. Don't try to think that you can do what you did in college or high school. It rarely works out well unless you stayed fit the whole time. Ease into it and do what you can currently do.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    I couldnt agree with this more. im 100% sure I would have given up if I cut everything out and did a 180. I started my journey by cutting out soda, and then started counting calories, Its easier to fit healthy foods into my calorie budget, but I still have "junk" almost every day.
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
    toxikon wrote: »
    Another tip: calories are all that matter. You can lose weight only eating MacDonald's if you want. There's no reason to go paleo, keto, vegan, etc. Just eat your favourite foods in smaller quantities.
    While I 'get' the point of this message, weight loss is not just about looks it's about overall health and while the above statement is true, it's not the best course of action. You have to start somewhere so yes, this message may be a good place to start but keep your health in mind and strive to make better choices as you move forward in your journey.

    I have been following the paleo lifestyle (mostly) since 2014. I'm not 100% strict and no one has to be. Even the top paleo people say an 80/20 rule is good enough but once you get used to eating real, whole foods, you really don't even want to eat junk and don't really enjoy it like you thought you once did.

    Welcome and good luck.
    AJ
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
    I've gotten down from 19.5 to 17.5 stone in the three months I've been here. It's taken some experimenting and adjusting and picking myself up after I have a bad day/days but I'm getting there and I'm sure you can too.
  • WatchJoshLift
    WatchJoshLift Posts: 520 Member
    If you stick to it, MFP will be the best decision you've ever made. I lost 130 lbs in 2012 using MFP. You can do it, you just have to want it bad enough.
  • durango33
    durango33 Posts: 10 Member
    edited August 2017
    This is the best damn community in "thee" land, good luck on your journey bro, if you need any help along the way we're here for you.

    down 39 pounds since Jan 2017

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