Fat & twisted

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tmwyles
tmwyles Posts: 26 Member
in Getting Started
Hey guys Michael here, it’s time that I take control of my life and make a change. I guess I should tell you a little about myself. I am a 27yo male, I am married with 3 kids. I weigh 350lb and stand 5’11”. Finally what may make me a little unique, I have S curve scroliosis. If you don’t know what that is then please comment or message me I’ll explain more. I live every day of my life in pain. I want to in the next year lose 100 pounds, but I’m gonna need some help I’m asking everyone who will to comment or message or even email me. I don’t exactly have a support system around me. I would like encouragement, accountability, tips, etc.. So if you are on the other side of your journey or if you’re just starting on a journey of your own I would like to hear from you.
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Replies

  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
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    Welcome to mfp and good luck on your journey
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 16,957 Member
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    :) I found MFP at age 62 after decades of failed weight loss attempts. I started by logging my planned food for the day and then staying with the plan, no matter what (which on day one included food brought to me by a friend and for which I said "no thank you") I read a lot about healthy eating and made gradual changes in what I ate to get the maximum nutrition and food bulk with the fewest calories (like a soup bowl of broccoli has fewer calories than the same volume of mashed potatoes and has more nutrition). I sought every opportunity to be active which might be different for you than for others your age. Others have done this and you can, too.
  • cowsanddogsarecute
    cowsanddogsarecute Posts: 156 Member
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    Having to deal with pain everyday is hard I know but it's great you're working towards being healthier. I have osteoarthritis in my knee and I deal with pain most days too. Feel free to add me.
  • caindove11
    caindove11 Posts: 73 Member
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    You got this, just take it one day at a time!
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
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    Welcome! How's it going so far?
  • AmyC2288
    AmyC2288 Posts: 386 Member
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    tmwyles wrote: »
    I forgot to mention that I am starting to actually diet next week. This week I am seeing just how many calories I take in now. So far I have been very surprised at how many calories some things have. For instance all beef hot dogs have 180 calories 😳 just for one hot dog no bun or anything else. As far as my weight, it’s gonna be hard to track see that I don’t have a scale that will register over 300lb.

    Welcome! You're in the right place.

    Just wanted to quickly add that you can grab a fabric tape measure to take your measurements. Even though you can't see scale numbers, seeing the measurement numbers go down is just as awesome. There is a place on your profile here on MFP to log those as well. :)
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    tmwyles wrote: »
    I forgot to mention that I am starting to actually diet next week. This week I am seeing just how many calories I take in now. So far I have been very surprised at how many calories some things have. For instance all beef hot dogs have 180 calories 😳 just for one hot dog no bun or anything else. As far as my weight, it’s gonna be hard to track see that I don’t have a scale that will register over 300lb.

    actually it can have more than 180 calories(depending on the weight of it). if you really want to see how much you are eating get a food scale and weigh everything. you will be shocked on a even higher level. its not needed to lose weight at this point but its very helpful well at least in my case it is. They do have scales that will register over 300 lbs you just have to do a search for them. amazon has some. but for now a tape measure will work until you can get a scale. sometimes that tells a bigger and better picture than a scale can. with a scale you will see fluctuations(ups and downs and sometimes no change which is normal). just do the best you can and you will get there. I had a friend who had the same type of scoliosis you have she was of normal weight and still had to have surgery.are you going to need surgery or? well good luck with everything
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
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    Welcome in and best of luck with everything!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,994 Member
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    tmwyles wrote: »
    I forgot to mention that I am starting to actually diet next week. This week I am seeing just how many calories I take in now. So far I have been very surprised at how many calories some things have. For instance all beef hot dogs have 180 calories 😳 just for one hot dog no bun or anything else. As far as my weight, it’s gonna be hard to track see that I don’t have a scale that will register over 300lb.

    Does your doctor's office have a scale that will register higher, and would it be convenient to stop in a couple or few times toward the beginning (say, once as soon as possible, and then again two weeks to a month later?) just to be sure that you're headed in the right direction? Some people discover they're not being as careful about logging their food as they need to be and have to look at what they're leaving out, or where they're being too care-free in their estimates. I would think the doctor's office would be happy to let you use their scale occasionally over your first 50 pounds of weight loss to make sure you're still on track -- after all, they should share your goal of losing weight to improve your health.

    I hope losing weight will help alleviate some of the pain you're experiencing. Best of luck.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
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    tmwyles wrote: »
    I forgot to mention that I am starting to actually diet next week. This week I am seeing just how many calories I take in now. So far I have been very surprised at how many calories some things have. For instance all beef hot dogs have 180 calories 😳 just for one hot dog no bun or anything else. As far as my weight, it’s gonna be hard to track see that I don’t have a scale that will register over 300lb.

    That's a great idea. When I started I was impatient so just wrote down what I usually ate, but actually tracking and then looking back at the reality and making changes is a good idea. It also provides a good check against what MFP will say you need to eat to lose. And starting to see how many calories are in everything will make it easier going forward.

    If you can be patient and trust the process, you could use a combination of measurements and clothes instead of the scale (but it will take longer so you can't expect visible changes every week). When I started I did weigh daily (helped me get over my fear of the scale and overreaction to the number), but I also had jeans in the next three sizes down (acquired on the way up) in the same brand, so used those as a sign of progress too.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,506 Member
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    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    tmwyles wrote: »
    I forgot to mention that I am starting to actually diet next week. This week I am seeing just how many calories I take in now. So far I have been very surprised at how many calories some things have. For instance all beef hot dogs have 180 calories 😳 just for one hot dog no bun or anything else. As far as my weight, it’s gonna be hard to track see that I don’t have a scale that will register over 300lb.

    That's a great idea. When I started I was impatient so just wrote down what I usually ate, but actually tracking and then looking back at the reality and making changes is a good idea. It also provides a good check against what MFP will say you need to eat to lose. And starting to see how many calories are in everything will make it easier going forward.

    If you can be patient and trust the process, you could use a combination of measurements and clothes instead of the scale (but it will take longer so you can't expect visible changes every week). When I started I did weigh daily (helped me get over my fear of the scale and overreaction to the number), but I also had jeans in the next three sizes down (acquired on the way up) in the same brand, so used those as a sign of progress too.

    Building on that idea: I'm not sure whether it's true for you, but quite a few guys are regular belt-wearers. It'll be slower than scale progress, but if you wear a belt often, you'll begin to see the belt getting a little loose over time, and needing to be moved a notch smaller . . . then another notch . . . etc. :)

    Good plan on the "tracking current eating" idea. It's a super-powerful tool to review your eating with full details, and see where you're "spending" calories that aren't worth the nutrition, tastiness or satiation that they're "buying" for you. Which things to cut down or replace become pretty obvious, especially that first low-hanging fruit (or not fruit ;) ).
  • ALittleLessOfMe2017
    ALittleLessOfMe2017 Posts: 4 Member
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    tmwyles wrote: »
    I forgot to mention that I am starting to actually diet next week. This week I am seeing just how many calories I take in now. So far I have been very surprised at how many calories some things have. For instance all beef hot dogs have 180 calories 😳 just for one hot dog no bun or anything else. As far as my weight, it’s gonna be hard to track see that I don’t have a scale that will register over 300lb.

    I'm doing the same thing for my first week. Eating as usual, just to see how bad things really are. A reality check. Anyone can add me. Need people who can call me out on my bad choices and keep me on track
  • tmwyles
    tmwyles Posts: 26 Member
    edited January 2019
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    Well Yesterday was awful in-laws are in and they insisted on a huge breakfast. I did my best with that and Lunch was ok too. After lunch I did some yard work I have been neglecting. My back was hurting pretty bad before the work but when the pain really hit during the work I knew I was in for it later. Sure enough by the time I rested 5 min my back pain was in full bloom. I hurt to move anything. Well for me it is kind of a self inflating problem. My back hurts when I work, when my back hurts I want to eat, when I overeat I gain weight, the heavier I am the more I hurt, the more I hurt the more I want to eat. But I’m determined not to fail I may not hit my 100lb this year but it will happen and more.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    Eating in a social context can be tricky. Are there low-calorie foods you like that you can keep on-hand for when you want to eat.

    Personally, I tend to have a salt tooth when I stress-eat; I keep Skinny Pop (or other non-caramel-coated, unbuttered) popcorn around. And I weigh out a portion; I don't just scoop it out of the bag by the handful. Pop chips are also an option (or Simply Protein snacks). If I want something sweeter, there's dry cereal (again, weighed out) or clementines or cherry/grape tomatoes.

    In my case, feeling that I couldn't snack was a problem. Feeling that I could, so long as I could get a reasonable volume for relatively low calories, helped a lot.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,506 Member
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    tmwyles wrote: »
    Well Yesterday was awful in-laws are in and they insisted on a huge breakfast. I did my best with that and Lunch was ok too. After lunch I did some yard work I have been neglecting. My back was hurting pretty bad before the work but when the pain really hit during the work I knew I was in for it later. Sure enough by the time I rested 5 min my back pain was in full bloom. I hurt to move anything. Well for me it is kind of a self inflating problem. My back hurts when I work, when my back hurts I want to eat, when I overeat I gain weight, the heavier I am the more I hurt, the more I hurt the more I want to eat. But I’m determined not to fail I may not hit my 100lb this year but it will happen and more.

    Have you done any physical therapy for the back issues? I suspect you have, but wanted to bring it up just in case not. Those folks have been very helpful to me in learning how to change my routine movement patterns in ways that create less stress for pre-existing (and harder to address) structural problems.

    I hear the pain in how you're talking about this, but I also hear your determination. The latter is a wonderful thing. I'm hoping you can harness that determination not only on the full-speed-ahead "take that hill" direct sort of thing, but also in ways that help you work around some obstacles rather than simply brute-force overcome all of them.

    I know nothing about the kind of scoliosis you have, so can't offer much. I wonder, though, if posting about it over in the Fitness part of the forum might get some input from people who've dealt with similar issues hindering movement. I'm not suggesting that random people on the internet give you medical advice (yikes!), but some might have ideas about less common treatment modalities you could pursue with your doctors, or the like.

    One specific thing: That "when my back hurts I want to eat" link is probably the most actionable. Would some alternative comforting habit be possible to substitute? That could be the "hot bath" sort of thing, or listening to distracting/calming music, or a simple type of meditation (either something completely non-religious like http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/ , or alternatively prayerful meditation if you're a religious person), etc.

    So sorry you're in pain; I hope you have some combination of stretches, OTC meds, hot baths or heating pads or icing, etc., that can give you some symptomatic relief. Best wishes for improvement!

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