Morbidly obese...need to change or life at risk, literally
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i have 13 months till 50. hope not too late to turn things around. I feel good and plan an being active always. cant imagine not being; plus, don't want my kids friends snickering. i remember people like that when I was a kid. seriously0
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Also your fat grams looks low to me. 30% calories from fat is good
but that is still challenging on 2100 cals. I switched a load of stuff to be able to eat enough food to be satisfied
For instance, beef has relatively high fat content which means you can't eat much of it without busting your calorie target
Solution: leaner protein sources like white fish (cod etc), chicken breast, venison, rabbit.
Eating lean meats like those will mean you get to eat some eggs, use butter or olive oil in cooking, have some chocolate or PB. See?
Good luck man, I really do understand. i was there July 21st. Fat sick and nearly dead.
New man now2 -
i'll try guys. 2100 is a good goal? and you said 30% fats (olive oil, butter, peanut butter). i have a ton to learn. are eggs fats, or protein, and is the old idea of no more than 4 a week right?0
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Thank you for this. I'm always interested in learning about how my brain works, and why. Articles like this actually provide suggestions on how to improve quality of life.Some insight in to short-term reward and why it is so attractive. You are not alone.
https://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/04/q4/1014-brain.htm0 -
Almost two years ago, I was morbidly obese. I had a myriad of health issues, and being a cancer survivor, that alone should have scared me into losing the weight. For some reason, it didn't. So I get where you are coming from. There is this fear of a serious illness or even death, knowing if we don't get to a healthy weight, we'll end up dead from being morbidly obese. I hit rock bottom and made a promise to myself on the last day I was in Hawaii on vacation, that when I returned home, I would change my life. Two days later, I did. I've since lost around 88 pounds. I never thought I could do it. So, here is a little advice which may help you.
1. Make a commitment to yourself and stick to it. One day at a time. One meal at a time if need be. You just do it day in and day out and it becomes natural. Sure, you'll have days you'll go off plan, but you move on, no shame or guilt, and get right back on track. Don't bring negativity into your eating.
2. Find a healthy eating plan to lose weight that is sustainable for the rest of your life. For me, a lower carb diet works. I'm not keto or paleo, I just stay within a certain carb range. CICO works for me, deprivation does not. So, I still eat baked and mashed white potatoes, tortillas and the like, but in strict moderation. I do my best to limit processed foods and sugar; sticking to organic and fresh foods 95% of the time. Losing weight is 80% in the kitchen and 20% in the gym. Exercise is also important.
3. Experiment with food. Try new foods. Go crazy with spices and herbs. Variety is the spice of life.
4. If you don't have one, invest in a good digital kitchen scale, measuring cups and spoons. Weigh and measure your food. Yes, it's tedious, but you'll surprised how you shortchange yourself on protein or are over-estimating a portion.
5. Log your food. Every bite. If you bite it, write it.
6. Lastly, find a good, active support group here on MFP. There are hundreds of them. One I can recommend is for people that have or had 100 pounds or more to get rid of without having surgery. It can be found at:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3322-100-pounds-with-no-surgery
I wish you the best of luck. As the Nike slogan says... Just Do It.5 -
quickly. sorry to hold everyone hostage. perhaps my naiveness will make you all feel the smartest ever!
1) can i lose weight at 2100 cals a day
2) if 30% fat; then what other macros?
i know they say calories are king, but if macros can give extra nudges, I am in!0 -
2100 is around what MFP gives you. You will have to work hard to build trust and confidence and judgement (it's an ongoing process).lanceavante wrote: »i'll try guys. 2100 is a good goal? and you said 30% fats (olive oil, butter, peanut butter). i have a ton to learn. are eggs fats, or protein, and is the old idea of no more than 4 a week right?
Fat is fat, eggs are a mix of fat and protein. Use your food diary, it will show you the makeup of each individual food. Eat as many eggs as you like. This means that you don't eat eggs to avoid eating food you like, but eat eggs if you like eggs.0 -
lanceavante wrote: »i'll try guys. 2100 is a good goal? and you said 30% fats (olive oil, butter, peanut butter). i have a ton to learn. are eggs fats, or protein, and is the old idea of no more than 4 a week right?
2100 sounds more reasonable than your first goal. Foods usually consist of a mixture of carbs, fats, and proteins. Eggs are fat and protein mostly.
I would focus only on the calories to get you started. I don’t focus on macros at all. That becomes more important much further in your journey, for example those who are trying to recomp
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i love eggs. so don't need to worry about egg white liquids? i can just do eggs? i really do like them. at 2100 any suggestion on macros? trusting experience an expertise0
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lanceavante wrote: »i'll try guys. 2100 is a good goal? and you said 30% fats (olive oil, butter, peanut butter). i have a ton to learn. are eggs fats, or protein, and is the old idea of no more than 4 a week right?
Exactly my point... You have a lot to learn since you ask a questions like this... You simply don't understand the way mfp works, hence your failure the first time. You never really used it, you just thought you did.
Get started by learning how to lose weight by building a caloric deficit, which is the core of mpf, or any successful weight loss for that matter. Go to message boards--- getting started, hints, tips and so on. I think it's the very same board you opened this thread in. Or youtube "how to use mfp". Be creative. Learn something and watch your progress in the mirror. If you can't do it using mfp, nothing sustainable will help you with your weight loss
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I suggest you just weigh and log your food for a week. MFP will tell you what your meals are made of. For weight loss, calories are king. Don't stress yourself out over macros.
After a week of logging, though, you will become painfully aware of where the calories are coming from!2 -
Yes, as long as you're really eating 2100 calories. 2100 calories isn't that much. You'll be chopping off a big chunk of your normal intake.lanceavante wrote: »quickly. sorry to hold everyone hostage. perhaps my naiveness will make you all feel the smartest ever!
1) can i lose weight at 2100 cals a day
You can go with MFP's default unless that doesn't work for you.2) if 30% fat; then what other macros?
Macros don't do that. Macros can make it easier to stick to your calorie target.i know they say calories are king, but if macros can give extra nudges, I am in!
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lanceavante wrote: »i'll try guys. 2100 is a good goal? and you said 30% fats (olive oil, butter, peanut butter). i have a ton to learn. are eggs fats, or protein, and is the old idea of no more than 4 a week right?
I've been eating 4 eggs A DAY, lost weight and improved my cholesterol from 9.6 to 6.2. Eggs are fat and protein.
2100 is my guess. Run the set up in MFP for 2lb per week and see what it gives. It might be higher than 2100.
Avocado, coconut fat, olive oil, butter all good fats. If you fancy a steak and can fit it in then by all means have one. Same for a burger. If it fits your calories and hopefully fat / protein need then you can have it.
Being very consistent with food choices really helped me. Batch cooking (in a Crock Pot) also helped. I make chilli, curry, stew and all sorts of 'one pot' dishes. Make a batch a freeze them. Use the recipe creator function in the app to count calories in and then work out portion size. Divide batch equally by weight to get portion you want.
Getting enough food to be satisfied is a key to success with a lot to lose. Therefore getting filling foods and staying under is a challenge.
There's loads of help on here. Don't struggle. If you need help, ask or SEARCH the forum there are loads of useful threads on all subjects. Weigh and measure accurately with digital scale
You can make a huge improvement. By Easter you'll be a new man, stick to it2 -
thanks man. so appreciate it. i'll do that. it just seems when I have done that stuff before, it reads like my daily goal (based on my weight) is like 3200 calories. and i have heard i should eat for the weight I want. not sure..that is why here.1
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lanceavante wrote: »i have 13 months till 50. hope not too late to turn things around. I feel good and plan an being active always. cant imagine not being; plus, don't want my kids friends snickering. i remember people like that when I was a kid. seriously
nope
definitely not too late, you can turn things round in the next 10 weeks and be well on your way to health. It is a long road so approach it like that. But be 100% sure that losing weight has massive health benefits even if you aren't always eating the healthiest choices.
And as long as you consistently live in a deficit you will lose weight.
You may find after being in deficit for a while that you really don't feel hungry. There are good reasons for that as you are obese. However, do not be tempted to cut corners and stop eating because you don't feel hungry. That is counter productive. Continue to eat at your calorie target, as close as you can get to it, even if you think 'I'm not hungry'
Failure to do so can bite you further down the line.
One more thing. Be assured that this process works so give it time.1 -
I just entered the conversation and I will tell you that you just take it one day at a time. I have to watch not only my calories but my sugar and sodium intake. I can only have less than 1200 mg per day. I've been watching what I eat for a year and stabilized my weight now I'm determined to lose it. It takes writing down everything eaten, monitoring numbers, pre-planned meals for work and checking menus before going out. I have a heart monitor watch that counts my steps and calories used. It's a good tool and it helps on days I'm not so busy. I try to reach 4000 steps a day. I weigh 291.6. My cardiologist recommended 2 lbs per week. It's doable.1
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I have to answer your question by telling you a little of my story.
2 years ago I thought I was too old and too fat to do anything about my weight. I was too far gone. I was 378 Lbs and 49 years old at the time. I could hardly walk from my bedroom to the bathroom and seriously thought at one point that I was going to get stuck in the bathtub. On January 2, 2016, I decided that I was going to eat a little better. It was very simple. I didn't make promises to myself that I couldn't keep and I tried not to focus on how much I needed to lose. I freaked myself out a few weeks into the process as I contemplated how much I wanted to lose (263 Lbs) I figured if I lost 10 Lbs a week it would take me 2 1/2 years to lose the weight. I calmed myself down by making a deal with myself that if I needed to eat something outside my diet that I would have it and deal with the consequences the next day. That was the moment I got my head on straight. I've now lost 219 Lbs and am 159 Lbs. I won't blow smoke and tell you that it was easy because it wasn't and still isn't. I still have some weight to lose but I'm realistic about what I can do. It doesn't matter how long it takes me to lose the rest because I know I will.
I can't stress how important the mental aspect of weight loss is. I will be 51 in 2 days and I am so happy with myself that I can't fully articulate the feeling.
When it comes to weight loss my philosophy is just take one step at a time and rejoice all of the small victories. One of mine is that I haven't eaten ice cream in 2 years. It seems silly but it helps.
About 8 months into my weight loss, I started thinking about where I would have been if I hadn't started. That was important to me because it reinforced my commitment to my weight loss.
I ask you this question, where will you be in a month, six months or a year. Will you weight more, the same or will you have lost weight. I've been in all those situations and to me the last one is the best.
I hope this helps.
Tina Marie7 -
Hey, I'm over 55. It's never too late to improve your health. I have high hopes for you.
You can either scare yourself to death, or make modest changes towards a healthier lifestyle, giving yourself lots of pats on the back along the way.
Food was the reward. You must replace the old rewards with new ones and "healthy someday" is just too far away for many of us hedonists. Eat well, and you will start feeling better. Nearly right away.
The first ten pounds gone makes a huge difference in health. The first 10% gone even more so.3 -
lanceavante wrote: »thanks man. so appreciate it. i'll do that. it just seems when I have done that stuff before, it reads like my daily goal (based on my weight) is like 3200 calories. and i have heard i should eat for the weight I want. not sure..that is why here.
nah your not gonna need 3200, that's a lot of food
2300 would be an OK starting place. You could just set that as your goal, hit it bang on for say 6 weeks and then see how much you've lost. You can then tweak it. After a few months you'll be tweaking automatically.
That's why logging everything is important. After 20 weeks you will have a load of data from which you can draw conclusions. You'll make observations like:
'that month where I upped my protein and cut carbs I lost weight but was hungrier' or something. You can then decide what action to take (maybe in that case add a large green salad to fill your belly for just a few calories)1 -
My motivation has been long term health. I'm 29, mildly overweight and my numbers are suffering. I work in primary care as a nurse and trust me, at 50 a healthy person and an unhealthy person are still relatively similar, in about 4-5 years that is going to change. The older we get the more it shows. It's the difference between between the 65yr old patient on 15 medication with cardiac bybass grafts, diabetes issues, etc and being the 65yr old who only takes a multivitamin and is running after grandkids without complaint3
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I’ll chime in with a couple suggestions. Changing your body composition is just like managing finances, it’s 80% behavior and only 20% knowledge. Yes take the time to educate yourself so your working as efficient as possible. But more importantly, always find a way to win in every situation. This can be as simple as sticking to a plan. For example, I have a problem with pizza, it’s my all time favorite food and the food I used to constantly overeat with. Whenever I’m going to be in a position where I’m going to be eating pizza, I always have a plan going in. So instead of ordering a medium and knocking it down in one sitting, I order a salad and small personal pizza. Even though I’m still pushing it on calories when you count in the salad dressing, I sacrifice this to walk out of there winning. Compliance to the plan is more important than eating a few extra calories. This is a long term mentality that pays off. It’s easy to stick to a plan when you’re in your element and normal routine but when you’re going to be in a situation where social eating could possibly be a trigger to bad habits, always have a plan to set yourself up to win, even if you have to allow yourself to eat a little bit more than normal. The long term goal and maintaining control is more important.1
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Your daily maintenance goal (based on your current weight) is around 3200 calories. It's not a bad idea to eat for the weight you want, but you want a lower weight, right? Maintenance for 200 pounds is around 2400 calories.lanceavante wrote: »thanks man. so appreciate it. i'll do that. it just seems when I have done that stuff before, it reads like my daily goal (based on my weight) is like 3200 calories. and i have heard i should eat for the weight I want. not sure..that is why here.1 -
Don't use the word tommorow you need to do this today and everyday, tommorow may not come. You can do this, get some supportive people on MFP who you can check in with each day. Good luck2
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If you can walk without too much pain, I would also suggest walking. If you feel uncomfortable walking outside (like I did and still do), try a Walking At Home program. Leslie Sansone is the one I've stuck with all this time. Accountability also comes into play in the grocery store.
I suffer from food addiction...it got to be really bad about five years ago. It's lessened but it's still there. Here's how I see it now. Due to the fact that I like sweets and salty stuff so much, I limit how much is in the house. If I didn't bring it into the house, it won't become a mindless snack-fest.
You could also put out some feelers for friends on here. I love mine, for the daily motivation. Feel free to add me if that's what you want to do.0 -
Been there done that....I'm down 115 lbs in the last 2 years. Just remember, take it slow and easy, and it is not a diet....it is a lifestyle change. For that reason, I don't set weight loss goals. I play a little mental game. To me, goals means it is temporary. if you treat it as a temporary diet you will gain that weight right back. As you lose more weight, you can exercise more....The "goal", for me anyway, is a healthy lifestyle....4
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good for you man. that is exactly where i am at. such a long way to go.0
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it sounds like the key is right now, ignore macros; focus on 2100 to 2400 a day; try to get in some walking/exercising. my birthday is in 20 days. maybe i'll see where i get to, then4
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i have always been hesitant to track when I have had a bad day. that is the worst, right? maybe the tracking should be just that. an honest view of what I am eating and what it is doing to me. don't just wait to track on the good days. take a true honest sample of where I am and what i am putting in me. it is easy to say "i eat crappy". its another thing to say "i eat crappy and put away 4500 calories today"
maybe that is the good place to start. get a true, quantitative sample of where I am0 -
also, i am so new to this, I would like to respond to individual comments, but not sure how. if anyone has a suggestion, i can reach to them directly and i think I am going to start posting my numbers and what I find as i track. i hope that doesn't violate anything. i need accountability. maybe this group is it0
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lanceavante wrote: »i have always been hesitant to track when I have had a bad day. that is the worst, right? maybe the tracking should be just that. an honest view of what I am eating and what it is doing to me. don't just wait to track on the good days. take a true honest sample of where I am and what i am putting in me. it is easy to say "i eat crappy". its another thing to say "i eat crappy and put away 4500 calories today"
maybe that is the good place to start. get a true, quantitative sample of where I am
Yes. Absolutely this. ^^
I still track food. When I was losing I tracked food. Even on (especially on) those days when I went way over. I would make notes in the notes section on the bottom of the food diary. I found this to be so beneficial that I began journalling what exactly was going on in my head when I would over-eat. How I felt before it happened, how I felt after. What exactly I ate. Patterns do emerge and changes can then happen.
It helps.0
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