19, Male, 509 lb. What do I even do at this point?

tobless98 · December 2017

I don't even know what to type here. I just feel depressed. Last time I was weighed was at the doctor early this year and I was 480. I just bought a new scale and it says I'm at 509. This whole time I thought I was losing weight and I was just gaining. Tell me what to do. I feel like I'm dying.

Orphia · December 2017

Well done for asking for help! That takes courage.

You're in the right place to get help. This is a great community, especially the General Diet and Weight Loss Help forum.

This thread (started by a person in a similar situation to you) might give you inspiration: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10600973/lose-200lbs-in-less-then-a-year

I suggest hanging around on the forum and learning from the many people who have been successful. The best place to begin is the "Most Helpful Posts" Announcement topic that is "stickied" to the top of this forum.

Again, good job asking for advice. My best wishes.

ebdonoianjr · December 2017

I understand how frustrating it is stepping on the scale and not seeing any results! What I did first when I started was change my diet. I cut out soda and junk food, drank more water and that made a huge difference by itself. As far as exercise you can just start out slow like take 30 minute walks outside or on the treadmill. I used my dog as an excuse to go for walks but anything that gets you moving around is good. I know you can do it and you’re at the right place for some support and encouragement!

nutmegoreo · December 2017

Just start with baby steps right now. It can certainly be a daunting task if you look at the whole picture. Start right were you are. Start logging your food here for a week without making big changes. Then look over that week and see what's going on. It will surprise you. Then look for little changes that you can make. Focus on positives, rather than what you're giving up. For example, after that first week, focus on increasing your vegetable intake or getting in a 10-15 minute walk each day. Then the following week make another new small change. You can do it, but take smaller steps it will help you stay focused.

nutmegoreo · December 2017

And yes, read the sticky posts. There's a few on logging accurately. Start there. You can do it.

spiffychick85 · December 2017

Be honest with yourself and MFP...weigh your foods (any food you eat...I'm a grazing snacker personally) and log them, follow the guidelines MFP gives you...baby steps. You can do this!

Orphia · December 2017

ebdonoianjr wrote: »

I understand how frustrating it is stepping on the scale and not seeing any results! What I did first when I started was change my diet. I cut out soda and junk food, drank more water and that made a huge difference by itself. As far as exercise you can just start out slow like take 30 minute walks outside or on the treadmill. I used my dog as an excuse to go for walks but anything that gets you moving around is good. I know you can do it and you’re at the right place for some support and encouragement!

Some quite good advice here. Although, I'd disagree you need to change your diet too much.

Where a lot of people fail is that they try to change their diet too drastically, then they crash and burn, and don't last the distance to get to their goal.

You can lose weight by just eating less of the things you normally eat.

You can still eat "junk" (occasionally is best), if you eat it within your calorie limit.

You can still drink soda (occasionally, within your calorie limit), if it makes you happy (and your doctor approves).

My Fitness Pal is a massive global food database that lets you keep tabs on your energy intake whatever foods you prefer.

elizcassin · December 2017

Thank you for reaching out, you spoke for more of us than you know. Boy, do I ever know what the sense of futility is like - and the helplessness we feel when we get on the scales and see it climbing instead of dropping. I have been feeling that way for the past month. But then I met with someone by accident who had just come out of prison and was talking about how he got in shape (survival is a great motivator, I guess). Anyway, he talked about small, tiny steps, each day, whatever you can do, be it five one minute spells of moving some part of the body. He said he started with his feet, just moving them up and down while he laid in bed. So I took that a few weeks ago, and I began walking around my living room, well, lumbering is more accurate, but I moved my bulk, rested, even slept, then moved again, 30 second intervals at times. And I am impressed with myself and my progress, cos now I can move for 5 whole minutes without needing to rest. Food, I cut down on the whites - sugar, flour, chips, anything white, and upped the greens a little bit each day. Drinking water, water, water. And I cut out soda. Slowly, slowly, and Im staying the heck away from the scales, this is me with me, learning to be aware of my body, my intake and my movement. Half the time those scales lie like dogs anyway!

I am slowly gaining some ground with myself and my confidence. Would love to hear more from you, your courage inspired me to speak up, I tend to be the mushroom, hiding in the dark, ashamed and alone. Great thanks for reaching out, your post helped me.

pogiguy05 · December 2017

Well the most important thing is to never give up. No matter if you have bad days there are also good days. you just have to let yourself see them.

1musicgrl · December 2017

I'm glad you're asking for help. I want you to know that you really can do it. It takes hard work and for me it has not been easy at all. But we are here to support you. You are worth it and you will reach your goals one step at a time. Feel free to friend me.

kommodevaran · December 2017

You have to eat less. If you think you're eating less, but you're gaining weight, weighing and logging food intake is a very good idea, as long as you do it consistently and honestly and aim to hit your calorie target every day. If you struggle to stick to your calories, there are many ways to make eating less more comfortable.

TheLifeOfRicardo · December 2017

Hey, if I was 500 pounds i'd either do Keto or Intermittent fasting the weight will just fall off but you have to be disciplined. Please youtube intermittent fasting videos that's what I did, and it completely changed my life. I used to weigh 320 pounds now im 269 and I'm not done yet I'm hoping to hit 249 pounds sometime in the near future. Please don't be discouraged at your weight physical activity will probably do more harm than good but just sitting and moving your arms can do wonders. Once you get down to 350 pounds you should try walking 45 minutes 3 days a week to lose weight. Hope this helps! All the best and Happy holidays!

rheddmobile · December 2017

When you say you thought you were losing, what were you doing that caused you to think that? Have you been weighing and logging your food, and eating at a deficit?

That's what to do. Put in your stats, get a calorie recommendation, and go for it. Eating at a deficit works - I'm down 112 lbs in a year, and there are many people here who have lost far more. You can get hold of this and get your life back!

dawnemjh · December 2017

MFP is a great tool for helping people but keep in mind that you will get advice from a lot of different people with a lot of different nutritional knowledge and some may be good and some may be incorrect. I would say that if you are not truly motivated to lose the weight you will not be very successful. weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you take in and you need to decide how that will occur. You don't have to exercise at all if you don't want to as long as you are eating less than you are burning. I think the first step is figuring out how much you need to eat to lose weight and then start being accountable for every bite that goes in your mouth! Good luck to you!!!

ALG775 · December 2017

You weighed yourself on two different scales- that can give you very different numbers. Stick with one scale, reduce your calorie intake and you should see results.

Mr_Healthy_Habits · December 2017

Don't beat yourself up nor let this define you as a person

I used to weigh over 333lbs and lost at one point 180lbs. I have no more will power, nor discipline now than I did over 333lbs.

What I do have is momentum, built up gradually over the years, step by step, inch by inch...

Make small changes over time, you don't have to completely change your life around in a day, it's going to take time... Every change you make just adds to your momentum and before you know it, you'll be unstoppable...

The person I am today was always inside, he just needed my help to come out

There is a healthier you inside, everything you need to do this is within you. There is nothing required to do this that you lack, not discipline, not willpower, not anything, you just need to make peace with this and start building momentum...

There's no tricks, just gradual changes over time.
Best wishes!

NJGamerChick · December 2017

Weigh your foods and log. After you have a bit of a log going, you can look into it and look into nutritional deficiencies that could also be causing cravings and hunger.

I've gotten rid of over 125 pounds and have done it the slow way, through modification of my eating, through resolving nutritional deficiencies, and through eventually starting a fitness regime. I will agree with those above who say to consume a little less. Sometimes the easiest way to start the change is to take something constant and modify it. For example, if you drink a 2 liter of cola a day, change to drinking one, or shift to diet. It's a slow change, but it's one that's easy to keep.

RamboKitty87 · December 2017

I started at 308lbs in January 2017, it was the biggest I had ever been, I felt the same, in despair, pretty much thinking this was going to be another half arsed attempt but I stuck with it, I started by logging at first then when I felt up to it I started exercising, going for small walks at first, doing 3 mins at a time on my dusty neglected exercise bike, just little steps, you take it 1 day at a time and see it as a life long thing not just a temporary fix, I have had my ups and downs like many others have, I don't want to get into it all here but I had some diet breaks along the way, switching favorite foods for lower calorie foods like switching to baked crisps instead of the fried ones I used to eat, switching to popcorn sometimes also, lighter cheese and butter (vegetable spreads) cutting out things I thought were a waste of calories, see calories as money in a way lol would you waste your money on this or that basically, I found cutting nuts and seeds out or just having a teeny amount now and then also helpful, search online for lower calorie / lower carbs/ fat etc etc of foods, doing research helps a lot, pre-log your day as that helps also, I know a lot of people here are into the whole meal prep I think its called where they cook in bulk for the week, I personally don't trust myself with that method but it has helped many others but really first steps would be just logging food, possibly going to your doctors and see if they can advice you at all, getting into a routine with it all, I wish you all the best x

kevont · December 2017

I've never posted in the forums before but your question struck a cord in me. I asked pretty much the same question six months ago when I was diagnosed with Diabetes. I talked with a Diabetes Educator who basically said I needed to lose weight (I was 354 at the time) and to do so I needed to make small changes to my diet, eat less than I had been, and add some exercise.

As far as exercise went, I was so out of shape that I would get out of breath checking the mail. So I stated walking to the top of my street and back once a day. Probably 200 feet or so each way and I would be exhausted after that. I did that for two weeks then added walking to the bottom of my street which is maybe 500 feet each way. Slowly, I added a little more and after six months I now walk a little over three miles a day on a treadmill with energy left over to do whatever else I need to do. So do what you can and add a little each week or two, you will be amazed how far you go in a few months.

Eating took learning to log my food on MFP and slowly making some changes. I still eat whatever I want but not everything I want. I did learn that mustard is a good substitute for mayonnaise since mustard has no calories. I mostly eat sirloin instead of burgers now (though I do the occasional burger). I found some decent frozen pizzas at Meijers (true goodness brand) which are reasonable calorie wise (and I absolutely love pizza). I also eat some 100 calorie ice cream (purple cow from Meijers) so I don't feel like I'm missing out on all sweets.

Finally, my hardest battle has always been giving up sodas because I am terribly addicted to the caffeine. If you want to give up soda may I suggest looking for Water Joe or another caffeinated water. I drink Water Joe every morning and it has the same caffeine as a 16 oz. Mt. Dew with none of the calories. I've had no caffeine withdraw symptoms.

I know that was long to read. I hope it helps. If you are curious, I've lost 76 pounds in six months so I know these techniques work...at least for me.

19, Male, 509 lb. What do I even do at this point?

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