How would you lose 220 lbs
splashley414
Posts: 3 Member
So, I weigh 365 lbs. The healthiest, heaviest weight I should be at 5'4" is 140. It feels overwhelming. Any advice on smaller goals? I also hardly leave my house because I have really bad social anxiety to the point of it being debilitating so the gym is not my friend haha any comments will be welcomed. Thanks in advance.
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Replies
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Yes, 220 lbs seems too much, but you have the right idea, set smaller goals. If you set smaller goals that will keep you motivated. Start with 10 lbs and then maybe at some point you can be under 300 lbs. Then you can go from there. If you don't like the gym maybe you should try to walk. That's an easy an enjoyable activity.7
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Be kind to yourself and realize it will take time.
Put your stats into MFP to lose 2 lbs a week and eat all the calories. You can eat the food you like, when you like, but try to fulfil your nutritional goals more often than not.
You may want to get a food scale to make sure your logging is accurate.
Moving more will be good for you, but don't over do it. No need to go to the gym or even leave the house. Just get up and walk around the house for 5-10 min a day. As you get better make the walks longer or more frequent.
The act of getting up and sitting down is good exercise in itself. Work towards doing it without using your arms.
There are lots of exercise videos on you tube. Chair yoga, or Pilates, and walking at home. You may find those helpful. Don't worry if you can't complete one, make that your goal.
Eating at a deficit is the most important thing. So work on logging what you eat on here, then look at how you can decrease your consumption without depriving yourself or being unhappy.
Yes cake, cookies, chips, and ice cream are all ok- so long as you fit them in your calories and aim for nutrition most of the time.
Cheers, h.24 -
I had about 80 to lose; 20 to go.
Honestly, it was TOUGH in the beginning because it took me quite a few pounds even to wear a smaller pair of jeans...I want to say, maybe 40 pounds...I'm not sure I'm remembering that correctly, but I think that's about right. Weirdly, though, after that, the next 20 lbs. I went down two more sizes.
But yeah. Motivation was hard in the beginning when I wasn't really "seeing" results and when the loss was slow (though it's always slow for me).
I just kept thinking: okay, so I'm "only" four pounds down. How happy would I have been a month ago to see myself at this weight? Okay, so now I'm "only" fifteen pounds down. Wouldn't I have been jumping for joy, probably literally crying to have gotten on the scale five months ago and have seen this particular weight...and so on, down the line.
Every pound down is one less pound you have to worry about losing. (Well, sort of, because everybody fluctuates, but you get the idea.)16 -
Make a decision right now you're going to do it. Start walking and start cleaning up your diet. Just start. And no...cake, cookies, chips, and ice cream are not ok - not at the moment.31
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I’m 116 lbs into my goal of losing about 300 lbs. Yes, it is overwhelming at times because that goal is so far away. Here’s the thing, though. It’s not just about getting to the goal. There is so much good in between. These are just a few things I’ve learned this year.
1. Trust the science behind MyFitnessPal. Use the calories they set for a month or so and adjust based on progress. Losing too fast? Add more calories. Losing too slowly? Eat fewer calories.
2. Track everything that you put in your mouth! Those “few bites” add up overtime and it’s best not to allow yourself to cheat.
3. Make friends here. Use the forums and learn from others. I have social anxiety too, so online support is perfect for me.
4. Don’t fall for quick fixes (they don’t work) and try not to get discouraged when you see people losing 200lbs in a year. That is not typical! Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
5. Don’t starve yourself. Eat your allotted calories and build your favorite foods into your calorie allowance. Love pizza? Eat pizza! Just count the calories. The beauty of this tool is it teaches you about serving sizes.
6. Finally, it’s going to be hard. You are going to have days when the scale hasn’t moved and you want to give up, but, believe me when I say this, it is worth it!
PS: take lots of pictures! On days I feel unmotivated I can compare now to where I was this time last year. A picture is worth a thousand words. Not to mention, you will want to have those “before” pictures when you reach your goal!
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Hey there! I'm also really far away from goal weight . However I believe you can definitely do it. Ive lost 80lbs doing low carb in a past and then had a death in a family that took me completely out.... However I'm back!!!!! Anyways, I have found an easy way for me to get some exercise in at home also! Fitness Marshal!!!! YouTube free workout videos! You're gonna love that guy! Please add me so we can do this together
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I would start by reading all the "sticky" threads in this forum and in the Getting Started forum. Go buy yourself a food scale, and plug in your stats for the MFP calorie goal. You can play it very conservatively while you adjust to planning and weighing your foods...even just a lb a week. You will probably more than that anyway, simply because you have a lot to lose.
Exercise has a some impact on weight loss, but your dietary efforts will help you get the most results. You can add in more exercise when you feel more up to it down the road. Maybe there is an exercise DVD you could do at home, too.
Many of us have been where you are, and the good news is you found us. We are here and can help!5 -
leonhnchan wrote: »Make a decision right now you're going to do it. Start walking and start cleaning up your diet. Just start. And no...cake, cookies, chips, and ice cream are not ok - not at the moment.
These are all okay if she eats them within her goals.
I lost 60 lbs. eating a Milky Way or some other candy bar a day, and/or some sort of ice cream, etc. I ate these within my calorie and protein goals (IOW, not to the exclusion of my protein, and not exceeding my calories...this was my "thing," the protein, though it won't be everybody's area of most concern).17 -
leonhnchan wrote: »Make a decision right now you're going to do it. Start walking and start cleaning up your diet. Just start. And no...cake, cookies, chips, and ice cream are not ok - not at the moment.
I agree with this. The only reason I lost the weight was because I completely cut out chips, cookies, etc. and then re-introduced them slowly. These foods were where I was getting all my extra calories so it was vital to get rid of them at the beginning. I would eat a whole bag of chips a day which is something like 1600 calories, and that was just a snack, I still ate 3 meals.
Not everyone will agree with this tho. You kind of have to find what works for you.
The day I started counting calories I actually cancelled my gym membership, you don't need to workout to lose the weight.
Try to meet your calorie goal everyday and start creating good habits. Don't beat yourself up if you go over your calories because it's going to take some time to lose 220lbs. Be patient and kind to yourself.9 -
Follow the calorie goal MFP gives you...baby steps here. I have social anxiety and still can't walk into a gym alone...good news...you can walk laps around your house and use youtube exercise videos for free Start small...You can do this!!! 3
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leonhnchan wrote: »Make a decision right now you're going to do it. Start walking and start cleaning up your diet. Just start. And no...cake, cookies, chips, and ice cream are not ok - not at the moment.
These are all okay if she eats them within her goals.
I lost 60 lbs. eating a Milky Way or some other candy bar a day, and/or some sort of ice cream, etc. I ate these within my calorie and protein goals (IOW, not to the exclusion of my protein, and not exceeding my calories...this was my "thing," the protein, though it won't be everybody's area of most concern).
It might be OK if you are really going to be able to stop yourself but why play dice with the devil? And don't forget - it's not just about how much weight you lose but about improving your overall health and working towards better habits.21 -
I used to walk but it's so hard on my knees. I joined the Y and have been swimming 5-7 days a week for about an hour each time. I do fairly rigorous exercises that I would never be able to do outside of the pool. I was self conscious at first but now I'm a "regular" and really enjoy myself. I eat low carb and drink lots of water. I am down almost 30 pounds since July. I have about 80 more to go. Find what works for you. Swimming, walking, bicycling...just get up and move! You will feel so much better!6
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eliciaobrien1 wrote: »leonhnchan wrote: »Make a decision right now you're going to do it. Start walking and start cleaning up your diet. Just start. And no...cake, cookies, chips, and ice cream are not ok - not at the moment.
I agree with this. The only reason I lost the weight was because I completely cut out chips, cookies, etc. and then re-introduced them slowly. These foods were where I was getting all my extra calories so it was vital to get rid of them at the beginning. I would eat a whole bag of chips a day which is something like 1600 calories, and that was just a snack, I still ate 3 meals.
Not everyone will agree with this tho. You kind of have to find what works for you.
The day I started counting calories I actually cancelled my gym membership, you don't need to workout to lose the weight.
Try to meet your calorie goal everyday and start creating good habits. Don't beat yourself up if you go over your calories because it's going to take some time to lose 220lbs. Be patient and kind to yourself.
That's the key - reintroduce them when the time is right. 10 -
Small goals can be helpful for some people. Personally, I set a goal to lose 110 lbs and didn't care how long it took. Then I did it. So you could do that, twice. It depends on the individual.
And I never cut out anything from my diet I worked sweets, chips, fast food etc. into my calorie goal regularly, and changed portions and frequency based on how I felt. There's nothing evil or bad about it unless you feel a lack of control.8 -
leonhnchan wrote: »leonhnchan wrote: »Make a decision right now you're going to do it. Start walking and start cleaning up your diet. Just start. And no...cake, cookies, chips, and ice cream are not ok - not at the moment.
These are all okay if she eats them within her goals.
I lost 60 lbs. eating a Milky Way or some other candy bar a day, and/or some sort of ice cream, etc. I ate these within my calorie and protein goals (IOW, not to the exclusion of my protein, and not exceeding my calories...this was my "thing," the protein, though it won't be everybody's area of most concern).
It might be OK if you are really going to be able to stop yourself but why play dice with the devil? And don't forget - it's not just about how much weight you lose but about improving your overall health and working towards better habits.
Looking for the part where she said she can't stop eating treats. Was it in another thread? And treats can be a part of overall good habits and improved health.12 -
One pound at a time.12
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Everyone has to find their own path, but I can tell you what worked for me. I started by tracking what I ate and drank. If it went in my mouth, I logged it. I spent about 2 weeks logging without making any changes to my diet. This gave me time to get used to logging and finding foods on the app. I didn't worry about going over my calorie deficit, which I set deliberately small (1/2 lb a week) Once I had some information about my regular diet, I decided to add a serving of fruit or veg to everything I ate, because I wasn't eating as much fruit/veg as I thought. I eat everything, the only food I've put off limits is a certain type of potato chip, because I seem to have no control. Other types of chips I can eat an ounce and be fine. My goal is 1 lb a week, and I've lost 30 lbs in about 8 months. I've also been working on increasing my steps every week, although I've had a couple of setbacks with that. Not everyone likes fitness trackers, but I love my fitbit. I measure and/or weigh everything, except if we go out to dinner, I guesstimate. It's probably wrong, but 1 meal is not what made me fat, sometimes rough is good enough. A scale is really handy, but especially since you have so much to lose, you could probably do without. But eventually, you'll want to get one. Don't worry about the big picture right now. Make a small goal, maybe to log everything for a week, AND your bigger goal, which is to get to a healthy weight and maintain it for the rest of your life. You can friend me if you would like. Good luck!10
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!It will be hard but you will need to go at this with babysteps. Do not focus on your weight right now. Focus on learning to weigh your food before it goes in your mouth and logging everything. Your first purchase should be a food scale that you can tare out and weigh either in grams or ounces. grams are more accurate because it is a smaller measurement. Next, make a list of foods you like for each meal and snacks. Yes, on this program you can have everything just not a lot of it. Now plan a weeks worth of meals using foods you like. I have no idea what your caloric allotment for the day will be based on your weight. Try to divide your meals Breakfast lunch and dinner, allow a few snacks in there also. This will keep you from getting too hungry and quitting right away. It will be easier getting started if you can stick to foods that have caloric counts and serving sizes on the container. Log what you want to eat for breakfast. Maybe a boiled egg, slice of toast, with serving of Jam, and a banana. For beverage, you can choose coffee black, or my favorite orange juice or both. Not time for breakfast yet? Write down on a small notebook serving size (grams) so when it is you will be able to measure and stay on track. My scale allows me to put the serving container on the scale, 0 it out and add the food slowly until I get just the right number of grams. Do the same thing for lunch and dinner, setting the foods you want aside so they will be handy, but again, pre logging so at prep time you know exactly how much to measure out. Commit to doing this for one week. At the end of the week, if you have stayed on goal of weighing, logging and only eating what you have prelogged give yourself a reward. If you don't have a small reward you would like, give yourself a gold star. Each gold star is worth $10 for a larger reward so set that amount aside from your budget. That should be easy since you will be buying so much less as you will be eating less. Make sure you get at least 8 glasses of water in each day. You may also wish to start your exercise program. Keep it a walking for now. Commit to walking a quarter mile more than you normally do each day. You do not need to do it all at once if you are unable. You may need a fitbit or similar device for this. If that is not in the cards. I did a quarter mile in 10 minutes at 1.6 mph when I started. Yes, I was unfit and breathing heavily at the end but my recovery rate was less than 5 minutes. Again, log your exercise also. Your weight loss journey is more about changing some habits. There will be bumps along the way, days were you would like to celebrate family occasions, and of course we are just beginning the holiday season. It is up to you to persevere. I have confidence that you will stay true to your goals. Notice I didn't say anything about your bathroom scale? Don't become obsessed with that fickle tool which may or may not show any daily progress. Weigh yourself to start of course but then no more than once a week. You will not show a loss every week and that is ok as long as you continue to log your meals accurately and eat only what you log. If you have a family, it may mean taking the time to premeasure your meal to your plate and committing to no seconds or cooking a separate meal for yourself. Good luck. You can do this.1
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You have valued your health, and that is a major step forward! Now it is important to honor that, every day.
For your health - your new habit is to pre-plan meals and get the right ingredients. I committed to parking at the far end and walking every aisle of the store, every visit. That gives me a few extra steps.
For your health - your new habit is to enjoy moderate portions, logged in, and if they don't fit your calorie goal: move a little more til they do fit.
For your health - your new habit is to stimulate your heart gently (cardio), do push-ups with your hands on a doorframe at first (resistance) and find a stretching video or show to participate in at home (flexibility). It's free to clasp your hands and stand up/sit down on the bed (hold just above the bed) - that's a squat, for beginners!
MFP peeps are encouraging and practical and in the same boat. Check in every day and update us!!!
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The same way I'd lose 22 lbs. One day at a time at a reasonable and safe pace. It takes as long as it takes.
What I wouldn't do is go all crazy bananas. Plenty of people do that and end up back here starting over. That I will not do!2 -
Set yourself smaller goals, this week/month I want to lose 10lbs etc once you hit that reward yourself with something that's not food (I'm terrible for doing the whole I'll have a cheat day when I lose x), a new kindle book, some fancy bubble baths etc or even just a day relaxing. Write them all down and update every month or week. I've added you I've got 100lbs to lose (for the second time) so Ive got experience on how to deal with large weight losses etc. 1
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Change something every day or week. Just a little bit.
For me, for example, I used to cook 160g spaghetti for my dinner, when I was biggest. Over the course of 6 months, I've adjusted the size to my current 95g. I still feel just as full, because the change happened gradually. I still have a bit to go, but eventually I'll get down to the normal, expected 75-80g pasta.
It's all about the small choices. Instead of full-fat milk, grab the lower fat milk - same with butter, cheese etc. Find the small changes that work for you in your situation.
Heck, it could even be instead of 10 cookies, only eat 8. Next week eat 7 etc.
Remember, you're not on a diet. You're changing your way of life, for the rest of your life. It's a marathon, not a sprint.6 -
Forgot about pre-conceived diet rules! Eat foods that you like, just eat less. As other posters have said, you can make some substitutions as you go along and see where your calories are.
At your weight, your starting calories for 2 lbs a week should still be a good amount of food that won’t leave you feeling deprived.
Every pound is a victory so don’t dwell on the time frame - the time will pass either way and you can either weigh less or weigh more a year from now - it’s all up to you!5 -
Start slowly, baby steps focus on losing 10 lbs, then hitting 350lbs, ect. Keeping your eye on mini goals will keep you from feeling too overwhelmed about it. Also, if you try to do too much at first it will feel like a punisment and its easy to get burned out. Setting weekly goals helps...ex: week 1, just aim to accurately log everything you eat so you have a baseline, week 2: set a calorie goal (not too strict...you dont need to stay at 1200 cals!. 2lbs/week should still give you a good amount of calories) And try to stick with it...maybe week 3, aim to walk 3 days ect....You dont have to do those specific goals, pick something you feel is reasonable and go from there! Its easy to get to the point that your unhappy with your appearance and want to drop weight FAST but Im sure the weight didn't creep up within 2 months and its going to take some time. Slow, steady, consistant effort usually gives better results than hardcore super intense effort that fizzles out (yo-yo dieting!!) Celebrate every little victory and appreciate the efforts you are putting into your body. Good luck ❤
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Like others have said - start slow, be honest with yourself, and you can do it! You don't need to exercise (at all) to lose weight. Does it help? Sure, but at your weight just eating less will be more than enough to help you start losing weight. Get a food scale, log everything that you eat honestly, and you'll see results. I started at 265 and I'm down 45lbs in just over 4 months. The only purposeful exercise I do is walking, but you don't even need to do that! Do what you can - every little bit helps! We all have bad days now and then, but if the good days outweigh the bad ones, you're making progress. Feel free to add me as a friend if you like. I'm always here for support!1
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If the amount of weight you'd like to lose is daunting, break it down into chunks. Losing 5%-10% of your body weight can help enormously with health and mobility. Celebrate your first 5% loss - around 18 pounds - then evaluate what's working, how you feel, and explore anything you'd like to add.
You don't have to change everything at once. You can simply manipulate your calories so you're eating at a deficit and learn to read food labels and track correctly for a few weeks. Then add more walking for a few weeks. Then make some light resistance exercise 2-3 days a week a priority for a few weeks (try a resistance band, wall push-ups, sitting until your butt hits the chair then standing back up, carrying a gallon of water or bag of kitty litter around the house).1 -
the same way you lose one pound.
just repeated.2 -
Besides the great advice that everyone else gave, my advice would be to tell yourself, every day, just to get through that ONE day. that's your goal. get through that one day sticking to whatever plan you've laid out for yourself. and if you don't stick to it exactly (like if you go over your calorie goal or you give in to a temptation to eat something you shouldn't), your entire day is not blown ... just continue on with the rest of the day trying to stay as close to on track as possible.
I've found that when it's been especially tough, I tell myself that there's only a few more hours left in the day and when I wake up, it'll be easier (and I can have a nice breakfast). The next morning always feels easier.1
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