I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing

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rabbitmancer
rabbitmancer Posts: 3 Member
edited February 2019 in Introduce Yourself
Well, here I am, introducing myself. I'm Laura, 32 years old, 5'2", 235lbs as of Sunday. I've lost 15 lbs since December by accident through sheer stress alone and I figured I'd keep that weight loss train chugging for as long as I could...only, you know, healthily. I'm attempting to change my diet, starting with eating more than once a day and something a bit more nutritious than fast food. I'm eating grapes right now. Do you know how long it's been since I've eaten a grape? I didn't have the motivation to buy them and rinse them off before. I bought produce like a dang grown up today and I have designs on actually eating all of it.


Questionable dietary habits aside, exercise is the real hurdle here -- I suffer from depression and OCD and that means motivation is the scarcest resource to come by. I'm not going to become a gym rat any time soon but going for walks every day is a start. Who knows? Those walks might eventually become runs, especially if my neighbor's dog gets off his leash.


This site seems to make everything pretty easy even if I don't understand everything just yet so maybe I can stick with it. Calorie counting just appeals to my compulsive side, you know? My goal is to get back down to 120lbs by sometime next year. I'm in no hurry. I just want to feel better. So, yeah. I'm out of stuff to say now. Hi. :smile:

Replies

  • nicolelm18
    nicolelm18 Posts: 4 Member
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    Nice to meet you! I'm new to this thing as well. I also have some conditions which make walking my goal. I'm not going to become a gym rat either lol! Best of luck!
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    You don't need to exercise to excess to lose weight. You just need a calorie deficit. Buy a digital food scale and start weighing and measuring everything you eat and drink. Try to stay within your calorie goal everyday. Then move more. If you like walking, that's a great place to start. You can step up your pace, walk in a hilly area, walk farther,....as you go along. Are you being treated for your other issues? They can hold you back if they're serious. Talk to your doctor if you think so. Good luck.
  • pianobelle
    pianobelle Posts: 6 Member
    edited February 2019
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    Welcome! Let me tell you up front: I know exactly where you're coming from and you CAN do this. I promise! I can tell you from personal experience that if you stick with any form of exercise you don't hate doing, you'll see results. I know some people are saying "you don't need to exercise to lose weight." while technically true, from my experience, it WAS needed to see the results I wanted. It's extremely difficult to cut that many calories when you're not used to healthy eating, and with exercise, you just don't have to deprive yourself as much.

    When I was 17, I fell in love with Irish dancing. It became my passion. I'm 5'1 and I quickly lost around 50 pounds.. I was 110 lbs at my smallest. Add about 10 years onto that, along with marriage and a new baby girl and I suddenly found myself at 185 pounds. I felt awful, it was getting to be a struggle just to bend over and I was just depressed every time I looked in the mirror and remembered what I used to look like. I knew dancing probably wasn't going to be feasible any more given that I was a new mom and had limited space in my house.. I started by walking about a mile every day outside. It was nice, and I highly recommend a walk outside anytime to help depression!!
    but I have an elliptical trainer that we used as a coat rack and I KNEW it was the only piece of gym equipment that I could stay on for long periods of time in the past and see fairly quick results. Let me tell you, the first day was daunting.. but I did 15 minutes..the next day I did 20 and about two weeks later I was doing an hour at a time. I have also been following a no-processed sugar/water only diet, and have lost about 40 pounds in 3 months. don't get me wrong, this wasn't easy.. I LOVE SUGAR! I LOVE PIZZA! :smiley: It is very hard, but it's not impossible, especially with promising results. My motto is: food doesn't taste nearly as good as being healthy feels. You can do it!!
  • AustinRuadhain
    AustinRuadhain Posts: 2,582 Member
    edited February 2019
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    I will chime in here with @snowflake954 . You don't need to exercise to excess to lose weight. You'll make that happen by changing your eating habits.

    That said, those daily walks are excellent for helping you deal with stress and depression!

    Good luck! Keep up the great work!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    Welcome OP :drinker:

    Check out these Most Helpful Posts when you get a chance, lots of great info for getting started

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
  • rabbitmancer
    rabbitmancer Posts: 3 Member
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Are you being treated for your other issues? They can hold you back if they're serious. Talk to your doctor if you think so. Good luck.

    Yes and no. I have a psychiatrist for the medical aspect of it. As for therapy, I found a great therapist that I really meshed with but she went on medical leave after my second session (unrelated, I didn't drive her to madness or anything...I think) so I have to wait until she gets back to continue that part of my treatment. I'm just doing my best to get through it. Weird thing I noticed, though, I have almost zero OCD symptoms when I'm on a walk even when I let my mind wander, so that's pretty awesome!
  • rabbitmancer
    rabbitmancer Posts: 3 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    Welcome OP :drinker:

    Check out these Most Helpful Posts when you get a chance, lots of great info for getting started

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

    Thank you so much! I'm gonna check those out. I need aaall the help I can get! :o
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    rabbitmancer wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    Are you being treated for your other issues? They can hold you back if they're serious. Talk to your doctor if you think so. Good luck.

    Yes and no. I have a psychiatrist for the medical aspect of it. As for therapy, I found a great therapist that I really meshed with but she went on medical leave after my second session (unrelated, I didn't drive her to madness or anything...I think) so I have to wait until she gets back to continue that part of my treatment. I'm just doing my best to get through it. Weird thing I noticed, though, I have almost zero OCD symptoms when I'm on a walk even when I let my mind wander, so that's pretty awesome!

    That is very good--keep walking. Please make an appointment with your therapist as soon as she gets back. Even if you're better, it'll take a while to learn coping skills. Don't let the ball drop until she says it's OK. We care.

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