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Im having a hardtime
lacarlabrown2914
Posts: 1 Member
Hey everyone im recently starting my weight loss journey and im hard time im at my highest weight 428 and i want to be at my goal weight of 260-275 i am currently on blood thinners Coumadin and don't which lifestyle change is right for me i really need the help before its to late and suggestions are welcome to help me along this way
16
Replies
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Hello, so glad you reached out. I was nearly 300 and am now at 245. Any progress is good. When I started walking I could only walk 5 minutes at a time. However, I did it often and my dog loved it. I also really cut down on carbs especially sugar. I seem to have a real sensitivity to carbs. When I eat them, my body seems to stop burning any fat and tries to store any carb as more fat. I'm no expert. However, I am 64 and have fought the fat fight for a long time. Would love to stay in touch on our journeys.23
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Hello, so glad you reached out. I was nearly 300 and am now at 245. Any progress is good. When I started walking I could only walk 5 minutes at a time. However, I did it often and my dog loved it. I also really cut down on carbs especially sugar. I seem to have a real sensitivity to carbs. When I eat them, my body seems to stop burning any fat and tries to store any carb as more fat. I'm no expert. However, I am 64 and have fought the fat fight for a long time. Would love to stay in touch on our journeys.
That isn't how it works. To burn fat you need to eat at a deficit. As long as you are eating less calories than you are burning you will lose weight, regardless of the macro percentages. Your macros however, can really help with satiety which can make eating at a deficit easier to adhere to. Many will find that eating refined carbs, including sugar does not leave them feeling full for very long which makes them more prone to overeating which is why reducing carbs can be successful. For most foods that are high in protein and fibre are the most filling but some find fat to be more filling instead and others starches.
The best bet in the OP's case is to choose a goal of 2 pounds a week loss while using the default macro percentages and see how you go. Don't make too many changes too quickly because this will make adherence harder. Make sure you weigh everything with kitchen scales (reserve cups and measuring spoons only for liquids). This includes prepackaged foods which can often weigh more than indicated on the labels. Make sure you are using accurate database recipes by checking against nutrition labels or the USDA database as many are wrong due to them being user added.
If you find you are hungry much of the time you can play around with your macro percentages or reduce the amount of weight you are losing a week. It is much better to take longer to reach your goal than to not make your goal at all because it is too hard to stick to.23 -
lacarlabrown2914 wrote: »Hey everyone im recently starting my weight loss journey and im hard time im at my highest weight 428 and i want to be at my goal weight of 260-275 i am currently on blood thinners Coumadin and don't which lifestyle change is right for me i really need the help before its to late and suggestions are welcome to help me along this way
The most important thing for weight loss is calories. Just start logging and hitting your calorie goal. Make small incremental changes and learn as you go. Move more, however you can. I'm not a doctor or RD so I can't speak to any dietary changes you might need to make for any medical conditions you might have. Check out the Most Helpful Posts threads pinned to the top of each board, lots of good info there. Be patient. Lots of folks have lost lots of weight here
Good luck! 13 -
Set your goals on MFP and eat the recommended calories. Start counting calories by weighing every single thing that you eat. And be optimistic, it will work.3
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First remember what got you to the weight you are at. Think about the health problems it causes. Ask yourself if you are really trying to lose weight.
At 400+ lbs. you have a long way to go, but weight loss is attainable you just have to think long term. Short term weight loss never, ever works. Your goal is to change how you eat and how you move.
Most overweight people hate exercise. Mostly because they just feel it takes too much effort. It is that lack of effort that caused the person to gain all that weight.
Weight loss isn't all that complicated. Science proves over and over again that it is the simplest formula: Calories consumed versus calories burned. You have to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight.
This journey will last you the rest of your life. Even when you reach your weight loss goal, your eating habits and lifestyle change must remain in order to keep the weight off.
Start with adding exercise. Simply walk more to start. If walking is difficult, try it in water. "Water walking" actually burns more calories than walking on dry land. Many recreational facilities with swimming pools offer it. It is super easy to do because you become "lighter" in the water. The key is to get moving more often and increase activity every week...aim for 30 minutes a day. Get some inexpensive weight "dumbells" and start using them at home. Resistance exercises like lifting weights improves muscle and muscle burns up to 3 times more calories.
As far as diet is concerned, the first thing you should look at is cutting out sugar, in all forms. Learn the different names manufacturers use to describe added sugar (maltodextrin, corn syrup, molasses, fructose...the list goes on). Cut out all soda and fruit juice. Cut out all fast food and learn to make your own meals. Don't eat in front of the TV/tablet/computer!!!
Once you start clearing out all the "bad" foods from your diet then start focusing on how many calories you consume and start setting goals to reduce your intake while increasing your activity level.
For now just focus on eating healthier and moving more. look at it again in a month and make a new plan every month going forward.33 -
lacarlabrown2914 wrote: »Hey everyone im recently starting my weight loss journey and im hard time im at my highest weight 428 and i want to be at my goal weight of 260-275 i am currently on blood thinners Coumadin and don't which lifestyle change is right for me i really need the help before its to late and suggestions are welcome to help me along this way
I forgot to mention, with blood pressure issues, try to keep your sodium intake to no more than 1600 - 2000 mg per day. Sodium wreaks havoc on blood pressure and most packaged foods (and all fast food) have very high amounts per portion. You'd be shocked to learn just how much sodium you can consume in a day. The average American consumes a whopping 3400 mg per day!
One easy switch is to swap snack food for dry roasted (unsalted) nuts and seeds. Stay away from the ones that have added salt. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts are excellent sources of healthy fats and protein. mixed with some dried fruit it makes an excellent healthy snack.11 -
Sorry, you don't need to cut out all sugar in order to lose weight. You need to hit your calorie goal. And the great thing about logging (and prelogging ) is you can see which foods fill you up at the right calorie level. I can easily fit in a sweet treat, or a meal with a sweet food, every day. Limiting your calories will naturally limit the amount of sugar you eat, if you are paying attention to your food log.
And nuts can be a great snack, but a serving has to be weighed out as they are very calorie dense. I have to be very careful with nuts as I don't find them filling. And I'd skip the dried fruit, as it's a lot of calories (from sugar fyi) in a tiny little package.
There's no reason to make it more complicated than it needs to be, especially for someone who's having a hard time. Just start with getting your calories in line and moving more.19 -
There’s a surprising amount of bad advice here. For weight loss, you have to eat fewer calories than your body burns. That’s all. You do not have to cut out any foods that you want to eat. You do not need to cut out carbs or sugar. If you eat fewer calories than your body burns, you will lose weight regardless of what foods those calories came from.
The only reason you might *have* to restrict carbs or sugar is if your doctor has told you that you must do this in order to treat a diagnosed medical condition.
Having said that, if you eat a lot of high carb foods, you might find that you don’t feel full for very long. Most people feel full when they eat protein, fiber, and/or fat. This varies by individual, but most people would feel fuller by eating, say, 100 calories of yogurt than 100 calories of candy. This does not mean you can’t eat the candy if it fits into your calorie goal. It just means that you probably want to budget your calories so that you feel satisfied and are getting adequate protein and micronutrients, while also fitting in treats if you want them.27 -
You have a lot to lose and if successful a lot of health to gain. You will get advise from the simple eat less and move more on up to some very ridgid diets with counting macros and such. The difficulty is what one person likes and was successful for them may be intolerable for you. With the weight you need to loose I would look at keto because it can produce rapid weight loss but I am biased because it works for me and I like it. There are many options and paths to choose and you may want to consult a doctor too to be safe. Do some research and get started and I wish you a successful journey.23
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Most overweight people hate exercise. Mostly because they just feel it takes too much effort. It is that lack of effort that caused the person to gain all that weight.
Wow, judgemental much? You have no idea of any one individual's story and this smacks of the stereotype that overweight and obese people get all the time - that they are lazy.
Firstly I see lots of overweight people out exercising all the time.
Secondly I suspect you have never been heavily overweight otherwise you would know that exercising with an extra 100-300 pounds on your body brings its own particular issues with pain from extra load on joints and feet, chafing and getting severely out of breath easily along with injuring yourself easily from seemingly innocuous activity.
If you are trying to be encouraging, you need to change your approach. No need to sugar coat things but a little bit of empathy goes a long way.
OP - I would suggest that you focus on one thing at a time and that for now the most important thing is to follow the advice from lillymoo01, kimny72 and apullum. Get your calorie intake sorted and then when you feel ready slowly introduce some gentle exercise. There are videos on you tube of exercises you can do at home, in a chair even that will help you make a start and not put you at risk of injury eg this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0UP8rbPCM4
19 -
Most overweight people hate exercise. Mostly because they just feel it takes too much effort. It is that lack of effort that caused the person to gain all that weight.
Wow, judgemental much? You have no idea of any one individual's story and this smacks of the stereotype that overweight and obese people get all the time - that they are lazy.
Firstly I see lots of overweight people out exercising all the time.
I'm in agreement. I have been overweight for the past 8 years and have exercised 3+ days each week during the majority of that time. I am physical strong for a 50 year old and am certainly not lazy.10 -
When I was obese I wasn't lazy! I walked every day, did martial arts and did stationary cycling 3 times a week.2
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Biggest piece of advice is"It is ok to be hungry" you wont die. Also second best advice "it works better with DIET AND EXERCISE" Once you burn a calorie it is really hard to eat an empty calorie, knowing how hard it is to burn it.16
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Sorry, you don't need to cut out all sugar in order to lose weight. You need to hit your calorie goal. And the great thing about logging (and prelogging ) is you can see which foods fill you up at the right calorie level. I can easily fit in a sweet treat, or a meal with a sweet food, every day. Limiting your calories will naturally limit the amount of sugar you eat, if you are paying attention to your food log.
And nuts can be a great snack, but a serving has to be weighed out as they are very calorie dense. I have to be very careful with nuts as I don't find them filling. And I'd skip the dried fruit, as it's a lot of calories (from sugar fyi) in a tiny little package.
There's no reason to make it more complicated than it needs to be, especially for someone who's having a hard time. Just start with getting your calories in line and moving more.
Removing sugar and all it's forms teaches the body to use/burn the fat stores more effectively. lacarlabrown2914 stated that her weight was at 428 lbs. and that she did not know where to begin. Cutting out sugar is a first step that eventually leads to calorie counting.
Counting calories can be hard and unless you have started to train yourself to move away from bad habits, counting calories is not a good starting point.
My point was start to change habits first before you start counting. Removing sugar (in all it's forms) and subsequently reducing sodium intake will automatically reduce caloric consumption.30 -
Sorry, you don't need to cut out all sugar in order to lose weight. You need to hit your calorie goal. And the great thing about logging (and prelogging ) is you can see which foods fill you up at the right calorie level. I can easily fit in a sweet treat, or a meal with a sweet food, every day. Limiting your calories will naturally limit the amount of sugar you eat, if you are paying attention to your food log.
And nuts can be a great snack, but a serving has to be weighed out as they are very calorie dense. I have to be very careful with nuts as I don't find them filling. And I'd skip the dried fruit, as it's a lot of calories (from sugar fyi) in a tiny little package.
There's no reason to make it more complicated than it needs to be, especially for someone who's having a hard time. Just start with getting your calories in line and moving more.
Removing sugar and all it's forms teaches the body to use/burn the fat stores more effectively. lacarlabrown2914 stated that her weight was at 428 lbs. and that she did not know where to begin. Cutting out sugar is a first step that eventually leads to calorie counting.
Counting calories can be hard and unless you have started to train yourself to move away from bad habits, counting calories is not a good starting point.
My point was start to change habits first before you start counting. Removing sugar (in all it's forms) and subsequently reducing sodium intake will automatically reduce caloric consumption.
Cutting calories is the only place to begin because unless you do that you will not lose any weight. There are a number of ways to do this but many have had great success not just with weight loss but maintenance while consuming sugar in all its different forms. Removing sugar won't work unless you are also reducing your calorie intake but how would you know if you are not counting calories? It is all about balance and moderation.17 -
There’s a surprising amount of bad advice here. For weight loss, you have to eat fewer calories than your body burns. That’s all. You do not have to cut out any foods that you want to eat. You do not need to cut out carbs or sugar. If you eat fewer calories than your body burns, you will lose weight regardless of what foods those calories came from.
The only reason you might *have* to restrict carbs or sugar is if your doctor has told you that you must do this in order to treat a diagnosed medical condition.
Having said that, if you eat a lot of high carb foods, you might find that you don’t feel full for very long. Most people feel full when they eat protein, fiber, and/or fat. This varies by individual, but most people would feel fuller by eating, say, 100 calories of yogurt than 100 calories of candy. This does not mean you can’t eat the candy if it fits into your calorie goal. It just means that you probably want to budget your calories so that you feel satisfied and are getting adequate protein and micronutrients, while also fitting in treats if you want them.
Bad advice? Removing sugar from your diet couldn't be better advice. Study after study shows simple sugars wreak havoc on our bodies. Haven't you ever heard of "carbs beget carbs"? The more carbs (simple sugars) you consume the more the body craves them. That's just one of many problems simple sugars have. Sugars also force our bodies to create more insulin. At 428 lbs. if she is not already diabetic she is well on her way. Insulin shunts sugar to fat. Insulin makes fat. More insulin, more fat. Period. https://healthline.com/nutrition/fix-the-hormones-that-make-you-fat#section427 -
Sorry, you don't need to cut out all sugar in order to lose weight. You need to hit your calorie goal. And the great thing about logging (and prelogging ) is you can see which foods fill you up at the right calorie level. I can easily fit in a sweet treat, or a meal with a sweet food, every day. Limiting your calories will naturally limit the amount of sugar you eat, if you are paying attention to your food log.
And nuts can be a great snack, but a serving has to be weighed out as they are very calorie dense. I have to be very careful with nuts as I don't find them filling. And I'd skip the dried fruit, as it's a lot of calories (from sugar fyi) in a tiny little package.
There's no reason to make it more complicated than it needs to be, especially for someone who's having a hard time. Just start with getting your calories in line and moving more.
Removing sugar and all it's forms teaches the body to use/burn the fat stores more effectively. lacarlabrown2914 stated that her weight was at 428 lbs. and that she did not know where to begin. Cutting out sugar is a first step that eventually leads to calorie counting.
Counting calories can be hard and unless you have started to train yourself to move away from bad habits, counting calories is not a good starting point.
My point was start to change habits first before you start counting. Removing sugar (in all it's forms) and subsequently reducing sodium intake will automatically reduce caloric consumption.
No and no to the bolded. Curious as to your sources for this? Specifically, how does reducing sodium "automatically reduce caloric consumption" since sodium contains no calories to begin with?15 -
There’s a surprising amount of bad advice here. For weight loss, you have to eat fewer calories than your body burns. That’s all. You do not have to cut out any foods that you want to eat. You do not need to cut out carbs or sugar. If you eat fewer calories than your body burns, you will lose weight regardless of what foods those calories came from.
The only reason you might *have* to restrict carbs or sugar is if your doctor has told you that you must do this in order to treat a diagnosed medical condition.
Having said that, if you eat a lot of high carb foods, you might find that you don’t feel full for very long. Most people feel full when they eat protein, fiber, and/or fat. This varies by individual, but most people would feel fuller by eating, say, 100 calories of yogurt than 100 calories of candy. This does not mean you can’t eat the candy if it fits into your calorie goal. It just means that you probably want to budget your calories so that you feel satisfied and are getting adequate protein and micronutrients, while also fitting in treats if you want them.
Bad advice? Removing sugar from your diet couldn't be better advice. Study after study shows simple sugars wreak havoc on our bodies. Haven't you ever heard of "carbs beget carbs"? The more carbs (simple sugars) you consume the more the body craves them. That's just one of many problems simple sugars have. Sugars also force our bodies to create more insulin. At 428 lbs. if she is not already diabetic she is well on her way. Insulin shunts sugar to fat. Insulin makes fat. More insulin, more fat. Period. https://healthline.com/nutrition/fix-the-hormones-that-make-you-fat#section4
Really? Are these peer-reviewed studies or cherry-picked blogs full of pseudoscience? Too much sugar is not ideal for your overall health but there is nothing wrong with some sugar in moderation.11 -
OP I'll give you a tip. Listen to the posters that have high numbers--it means they've been around a few years on here and generally know what they're talking about. Just start, and try to hit your daily calorie goal. Use a digital food scale to weigh and measure everything and move more. Walking is great to start. Best of luck and keep it simple to start.15
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Most overweight people hate exercise. Mostly because they just feel it takes too much effort. It is that lack of effort that caused the person to gain all that weight.
Wow, judgemental much? You have no idea of any one individual's story and this smacks of the stereotype that overweight and obese people get all the time - that they are lazy.
Firstly I see lots of overweight people out exercising all the time.
Secondly I suspect you have never been heavily overweight otherwise you would know that exercising with an extra 100-300 pounds on your body brings its own particular issues with pain from extra load on joints and feet, chafing and getting severely out of breath easily along with injuring yourself easily from seemingly innocuous activity.
If you are trying to be encouraging, you need to change your approach. No need to sugar coat things but a little bit of empathy goes a long way.
OP - I would suggest that you focus on one thing at a time and that for now the most important thing is to follow the advice from lillymoo01, kimny72 and apullum. Get your calorie intake sorted and then when you feel ready slowly introduce some gentle exercise. There are videos on you tube of exercises you can do at home, in a chair even that will help you make a start and not put you at risk of injury eg this onehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0UP8rbPCM4
I am overweight and no I was not being judgmental. It's a plain fact. People who are obese or overweight don't exercise or don't exercise enough. Obesity is scientifically proven rarely genetic so my comment supports the fact that we get that way by eating more and moving less.
My approach was simple...move more, eat less...I even offered advice on some exercise that makes it easier on people who are overweight (water walking) because yes I am empathetic to the issues surrounding exercise and being overweight can be very uncomfortable. Personally I suffer a disorder that sends searing pain to my legs 24 hours a day. There is no treatment and no cure. Even with this pain always present, I manage to get my overweight 270 lbs to the pool 6 days a week...now who's being judgmental?16
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