350+ pounds Support for Men & Women

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Replies

  • alevans4
    alevans4 Posts: 37 Member
    That's an amazing loss Bert! Wow. I can't even imagine how hard it was to start at 603. Fantastic job.
    It's not something I ever expected to do! I honestly thought I was about 500 and then I got on a scale. Talk about a kick in the pants. Four months later here we are :smile:

  • CheezWhiz88
    CheezWhiz88 Posts: 116 Member
    Randy: great job; I will be checking that book out! JoAnn: Lowering your insulin is an awesome benefit to your weight loss! Bert: very inspirational! Keep it up! :)
  • Mellykay88
    Mellykay88 Posts: 307 Member
    Hi everyone! Sorry I haven’t been around the past couple of days! Welcome to all of the new posters @alevens4 @PQ4321 @BigRR hope I didn’t miss anyone! You guys are all rocking it! It is a rainy, messy morning in my part of the world, but the scales were down a pound this morning and I’ve got my healthy lunch in the work fridge.
  • @alevans4 I know that feeling very well. Thought I was about 250 only to weigh in and realise I was 325. Scary times. Still it's all going in the right direction now!
  • CheezWhiz88
    CheezWhiz88 Posts: 116 Member
    @alevans4
    I think that is probably more common than we think. I was about 50 pounds heavier than I thought (and I wasn't happy about the weight I *thought* I was!) That's why I am setting smaller, more manageable goals for myself so I don't get overwhelmed by the big number I want to lose :)
  • alevans4
    alevans4 Posts: 37 Member
    @alevans4
    I think that is probably more common than we think. I was about 50 pounds heavier than I thought (and I wasn't happy about the weight I *thought* I was!) That's why I am setting smaller, more manageable goals for myself so I don't get overwhelmed by the big number I want to lose :)
    I agree. It seems to be a common thread. We get in the mindspace where we don't really want to deal with it. For a couple of years there were a lot of things telling me reality didn't match what my head was thinking.

    @kimbarbato Needing new pants had a very big part in kicking off my latest round of weight loss as well :smile: Another one of those unwelcome surprises when you realize the size you need.



  • Mellykay88
    Mellykay88 Posts: 307 Member
    @jules81 Welcome! You’ve come to the right place. Even if you don’t get to your exact goal this year, you WILL make progress if you keep to your plan. It sounds like you have overcome a lot in the past couple of years. This is a great place to find support and people who understand.
  • @jules81 Hi and welcome! I seriously considered asking my GP for WLS. I even spoke to him a few months ago about it. He gave me some pills that give you diarrhoea if you eat fat and said to come back when I'd tried those. I haven't been back. Possibly because I couldn't work up the nerve to. Anyway in the mean time I found MFP again and decided to give it another go. I've gone from 325 a few weeks ago and I'm now 294. All I'm doing is a 5:2 fasting and eating under my MFP calories on my non fasting days. It's melting off and it's actually been pretty easy. If You want to add me as a friend I'm happy to support you.

    Top tip of the day from me.. try Cloud Eggs from the blog! They're fab, yummy and very filling and only 97 cslories! Good luck, you can do it.
  • jules81
    jules81 Posts: 83 Member
    edited January 2018
    Thsnk you guys xxxx

    I had the pills hunny orolist or something like that. That's a fab weight loss hunny. So you eat your my fitness pal cals 5 days a week and then 2 days a week have 500 cals?

    Off to find cloud egg......

    Xxxx
  • lmcclatchie
    lmcclatchie Posts: 14 Member
    I'm really glad I spotted this thread today. You all are incredibly inspiring.

    My name is Laura. I have been overweight my entire life, dieted my entire life... but at the end of last year I hit my highest, worst weight yet: 330. I came back here to MFP and I'm going with CICO. So far, I've lost 8 pounds and I am really focusing on healthy eating under a total of 1500 calories per day. Exercising is problematic at the moment, but I am adding in more steps each day.
  • jules81 wrote: »
    Thsnk you guys xxxx

    I had the pills hunny orolist or something like that. That's a fab weight loss hunny. So you eat your my fitness pal cals 5 days a week and then 2 days a week have 500 cals?

    Off to find cloud egg......

    Xxxx

    Yes that's the ones. Orlistat. Never took them as my job is one where I have to travel a lot. I didn't need that on a long journey! Yes 500 calories on fasting days and 1350 the rest I think. It's been working great. I'm 27lbs down in a little over 3 weeks!

    @lmcclatchie Hi and welcome! I think you started about the same as me! Must admit I cheered when I got below 300 and if I can so can you!
  • rabidhamster87
    rabidhamster87 Posts: 74 Member
    Yes 500 calories on fasting days and 1350 the rest I think. It's been working great. I'm 27lbs down in a little over 3 weeks!

    I'm really intrigued by your fasting plan! Did you find that plan somewhere or decide on it for yourself? What days do you do your fasting? Do you have anymore information about it? I might give this a shot too!
  • rabidhamster87
    rabidhamster87 Posts: 74 Member
    @leeonmcdaniel This is a great community and if anyone here judges you, then they don't belong! I completely understand not wanting to put your weight out there though. Just know that we're all in this together, so there's no need to worry!
  • evilfairies
    evilfairies Posts: 98 Member
    Hi all! I started at 320 a few years ago and lost about 70 lbs. Then I completely fell off the wagon and within one horrible year, I gained back even more than I had lost originally. So I started again at 345 several months ago. I am currently back at my original starting weight of 320 after eating a bit better and exercising sporadically. I'm trying to get back into the habit of exercising regularly, and my goal is to start hiking when the weather gets nicer.

    My biggest problem is getting the motivation to get up and move. My goal is to get the point where getting activity into my day is non-negotiable. I used to go to the gym at work at 2pm every day but my work situation changed and I'm not able to do that anymore. I tell myself every few days that I'm going to get up early to go to the gym but sleep always seems to win that battle.

    I really wish I had someone who was in my situation to help motivate each other. I'm very thankful for a family who is worried for my health, but it gets really frustrating when my healthy weighted family tells me they know what I'm going through. They're just trying to be helpful, but no, you eating a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies once a year isn't the same as binge eating until you're sick every day. I just wish I had more people who truly understood what I'm going through.
  • CheezWhiz88
    CheezWhiz88 Posts: 116 Member
    edited January 2018
    @freddieg275 :
    Glad you're here- people here are incredibly kind, inspiring and understanding because we are all on the same journey.
  • Philip_squish
    Philip_squish Posts: 30 Member
    Good morning or evening to all . All my life ive been struggling with my weight, this morning i got the fright of my life, i am weighing more today than ive ever weighed in my life 249kg. Today i said , no more, my goal for this year is to shred 100kg by end of December.
  • Philip_squish
    Philip_squish Posts: 30 Member
    I've noticed not a lot of guys have commented on this thread and that kinda makes me hesitant to disclose my particular weight. However I'm young at 23 going on 24 as of end of March. My whole life I've always been bigger. In High school it was fine because I played football and it didn't seem like my weight was a issue due to always running and weight lifting in gym for conditioning. however I've been out of school since 2012 and just never kept up the strict diet and weightlifting routine I had back in the day. at this current point in my life I'm over the 350 threshold and my goal is to be down to 275. It is a lot of weight to lose but that was my weight as a senior on the offensive line and I want to get back into shape. My fiancé has started something called the military diet and she has lost 5 pounds already and I plan to stick to this diet strictly along with some excising, such as walking my dogs and such. I'm hoping that this will be a good community to be apart of and not feel so judged.

    keep us in the loop my man, as this is a huge journey, its good to have all the support of youre fiancé. if indeed possible, where can we have a look at this military diet, im very curious.
  • Yes 500 calories on fasting days and 1350 the rest I think. It's been working great. I'm 27lbs down in a little over 3 weeks!

    I'm really intrigued by your fasting plan! Did you find that plan somewhere or decide on it for yourself? What days do you do your fasting? Do you have anymore information about it? I might give this a shot too!

    I do Tuesday and Saturday fasting, spreads it out nicely and means I avoid the takeaway temptation on a Saturday night as that was my old routine. I'm doing Lighter Life 5:2 which is sold in Superdrug stores if you're in the UK. I'm afraid I don't have my diary open because I don't want the comments about it being unhealthy when I'm desperate to lose at least the first 60lbs as quickly as possible. On my non fasting days I'll have a quorn stir fry with every vegetable I can think of in it but cook it in vegetable stock rather than oil, I had a cloud egg with wholemeal toast for breakfast yesterday and that was really filling and yummy. Tomorrow I'm going to have a Jamie Oliver recipe for spicy roasted cauliflower with sweet potato oven fries home made of course! I usually eat around 1000 to 1200 calories a day that way sometimes the full 1350.

    It's actually been working really well and I've gone from 325 to under 300 for the first time in 18 months. Now I want to get to 250 before I consider changing it again. I figure by then I won't be scared to leave the house to exercise so that should help too!
  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member
    Hi, guys! I started MFP last January sitting at 375 lbs. I'm now 275 lbs and working on getting to 260 lbs to get to a BMI under 40 for the first time in I don't remember how long. I've done this simply by counting calories. I've tried to eat more Mediterranean style as my budget will allow, so I'm shooting for whole grains, less processed stuff, fresh or frozen fruits and veggies, fish at least once a week, chicken, beans, healthy oils (and butter instead of margarin - I find I use way less that way!), etc. I cut down on sugar just because I wanted to eliminate empty calories and not because of sugar addiction and found that I can tolerate splenda and stevia as my alternate sweeteners.

    There are tons of methods for losing weight, and we all just need to find the one that works for us. Low Carb and Keto just don't work for me - I can't get to that level of carbs with any sort of saeity at all. But I know for some folks, especially those who are pre-diabetic or diabetic, low carb can work wonders! I also found that the low fat mantra that we've been sold for years wasn't all it was hyped up to be, either - which is why there is a slow swing back to more whole foods like butter instead of margarine and htat sort of thing.

    My advice is to be patient - you didn't gain it over night and you won't lose it over night, and losing too much too soon can be unhealthy! Though when you are starting high, you can tolerate a slightly faster loss rate than someone starting lower, so if you find yourself dropping 3-4 lbs a week to start off, that's okay (though please, please talk to your doctor! I'm going from my own experience, which definitely isn't right for everyone!)

    Prepare for the fact that you are going to have good weeks and bad, and that as they weight comes off, the loss rate will slow. And the loss is not going to be linear! Water weight, hormones, and other factors can cause plateaus and even jumps in the scales. Be patient, don't panic if the scale stalls or goes up, and keep at your plan! Use long term trends to make decisions to tweak, NOT daily weight fluctuations!

    Be willing to compromise with yourself. Trying to cut out everything bad and staunchly refuse to ever allow them in is a recipe for failure - will power can only last so long. Get to know yourself, what your weaknesses are, what time of day you are your strongest and weakest, which food types you respond to the best, what makes you feel full longest, and work with yourself. Truly, you can lose weight eating anything as long as you stay within your calorie limit, and while of course its healthier to eat fresh and wholesome foods rather than processed, its not mandatory, so the occasional treat is okay! Look for lower calorie versions of favorites or smaller portion sizes. for instance: once in a while, I crave a Little Debbie fudge round. But I've learned to divide it into 4ths and have found that over time, as I consistently stuck to my calorie routine, that 1/4 of that fudge round was enough to satisfy me, and I either give away the rest or save it for later treats!

    Some folks feel full longest on higher fat diets, others on higher carbs. One method truly isn't any better than the other - go with what works for you. Don't buy into the fad diets or trends! Sensible eating is truly better! And please, don't slash your calories incredibly low at the offset. Your body will not thank you and it will backfire.

    Exercise truly is not a necessary component and you can lose weight without it as long as you stick to your calorie limit. But exercise does have its own health benefits in strengthening your heart and muscles, making it easier to get around, etc, and of course, it provides calories that you can eat back. Again, go with what works and is healthy for you!

    Okay, enough for the unsolicited advice lol



    When I first joined I too went looking for 300+ lb groups as those of us who start at such a weight really have some unique issues to deal with, and I wanted to be around folks who understood what it was like to carry weight like that, try to jump start a healthy eating/exercising program with that kind of weight, that sort of thing. Though I admit I still haven't started a regular exercise routine yet.......I can't help it - I HATE formal exercise!

    Anyway, I did find a group called 300+ which is dedicated toward those of us who have vast amounts to lose. If you guys are interested!

    A
  • lmcclatchie
    lmcclatchie Posts: 14 Member
    gin_rummy wrote: »
    ***deep breath*** I just found this thread and am going to throw my story into the pot too.

    I know you guys know what I'm going through. That's why I'm here. I don't have anyone IRL who I can talk to about this as I know they can't possibly understand. Maybe surrounding myself with people who are in the same boat is what I need.

    (sorry for the long post!)

    Thank you for throwing your story in to the pot :) I think you are right, we all know where you are, and I doubt that anyone has magic words to help you with the hopelessness you are feeling, except to say that we do know it and that perhaps together we can all power through.

    To everyone else, thank you for the welcome. You are all truly inspiring to me.
  • alevans4
    alevans4 Posts: 37 Member
    49 and new on here. I was at 350+ lbs in Oct....now I'm down to 274 and feeling 100% better...DILLY DILLY!!! :D Gotta stay focused to get down past 250. Not gonna be easy and hasn't been so far but having the support of family and friends makes this journey much easier to tackle. I got this!!!!!!

    Keep it up man, you're doing awesome! 250 seems really doable as quickly as you're losing.
  • alevans4
    alevans4 Posts: 37 Member
    I've noticed not a lot of guys have commented on this thread and that kinda makes me hesitant to disclose my particular weight. However I'm young at 23 going on 24 as of end of March. ...
    This story echoes mine a lot. I was also athletic in high school and played sports including football and gained weight *very* quickly when I got out of college and started working in a sedentary job. I kept eating the same way I had when I was being so active and the weight piled on quickly. Before I knew it I was at a weight where it was difficult to lose and that weight has stayed with me for years now.

    You can lose it and get back to where you were! It's just going to take some effort. Definitely pulling for you.

  • alevans4
    alevans4 Posts: 37 Member
    Hello everyone. I am pretty excited to have found this thread. I hope I am able to pull some extra motivation from watching everyone else. Lord knows I need it. I have battled extreme obesity most of my life. I have fought it many times, having lost over 100 pounds twice now. In June of 2016 I started keto and it went fantastic. I went from about 440 to 325 in about 6 months. I even documented the journey on youtube and had a really decent following. But when I stopped. I stopped hard. I spent the next year and a half saying I will start again tomorrow. Before I knew it, I was back up to 442 (4 days ago).

    Everything is uncomfortable. Putting on shoes and socks. Getting into my truck. There literally is no room in between my gut and the steering wheel so it rubs when I turn. I am over it. So sick of feeling this way. My wife and I started Keto again about 3 days ago. I joined myfitnesspal and I enjoy using the app on my phone but I needed to reach out and make friends. My feed is very empty.

    So here I am ....34 years old and well over 400 pounds. Making the journey again. Would really love for it to stick this time. Thanks for hearing me out and I look forward to seeing you all do well.
    Dude I feel you. I'm in the same boat. For a while, when I was getting out of my car my stomach would push over the horn and beep it. Talk about embarrassing. I've also lost 100+ pounds before and gained it back. Really hoping to keep it off this time. My problem is I typically get to a place where I'm feeling so much better that I slack off a bit. Need to carry it through this time.